Changing Times
by SpaghettiSticks
Summary: Collection of Marauder Era drabbles. All the prompts are from my tumblr, padfootdidit. (Rating may change).
1. Winter Chill

**Author's Note:** Based off this post /post/72106105000/headcannon-lily-found-out-about-her-parents

* * *

The common room was noisy, filled with students who didn't want to join the snowball fight raging outside. Lily was sat on a sofa next to Marlene, trying to concentrate on reading her book but failing.

"Why can't they just shut up?" Mary muttered, scratching out (yet again) her latest mistake in the Potions essay she was struggling to finish. It was due the next day and remembering the properties of the lovage plant was difficult when you had third years playing exploding snap and fifth years throwing a fanged frizbee around. Alice, who had had the first draft of her Herbology essay ripped to shreds by the fanged frizbee earlier, looked imploringly at Lily.

"You're Head Girl, can't you get them to be quiet?" Lily had already confiscated the frizbee but had returned it to the fifth years when their next method of entertainment turned out to be lobbing dung bombs at unsuspecting first years. The redhead sighed, setting her book down and standing up.

"I'll try. No promises though, they're cheekier than Black."

"No one's cheekier than Black." Marlene corrected and Lily grinned. Her friends watched as she started to approach the third years but in the end it wasn't necessary.

"Oi! Everyone shut up, the news is on!" A sixth year's voice rang above the others and it only took a moment for everyone to stop what they were doing. Lily returned to her seat as the radio crackled for a moment and then the announcer's voice burst into the common room.

"This is the news at 2 o'clock and speaking is Marticia Wainwright. The Ministry has started to distribute leaflets that they hope will help us be prepared if we face a Death Eater or any of the other atrocities You-Know-Who has under his command. The Minister himself released a statement late last night in reference to these leaflets; "Whilst the threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is being contained and hasn't shown any signs of increasing, we felt it best that we release the leaflets to educate the wizard community in case of any unlikely threat they may face. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry!"" The reporter continued with the news story as Dorcas nudged Marlene.

"Bullshit."

"'Contained'. Pfft, Merlin's arse it's contained." Marlene responded with as much venom, her voice hushed.

"Shut up." Lily shushed them, listening to the woman as she spoke about what the leaflets contained. Just as she was wrapping up that story the common room door swung open and about twenty bodies piled in, rosy red, scattered with snow and obnoxiously loud. Sirius was laughing as he climbed into the common room, reenacting what he clearly thought was the best throw in the game. Peter and Remus were grinning, the latter shaking out his jumper and shuddering as a few clumps of snow fell to the floor. James was laughing too, continuing Sirius' reenactment by pretending to be whoever had been hit by the snowball.

"Shut _up_!" The sixth year who had turned on the radio shouted across the common room and a few of the group quietened down, returning to their year groups and flopping onto any available surface.

"If you don't shut up within ten seconds you all get detentions!" Lily wasn't angry but she was annoyed as she stood up and glared at those left in the group still chatting loudly, Marauders included.

"Even me sweetheart?" Sirius called back, earning himself a punch to the shoulder from James for the use of the word 'sweetheart' and a glare even more aggravated than before from the Head Girl.

"Especially you. The news is on. All of you shut up and sit down." The others had drifted off as Lily shouted, the threat of detentions causing them to abruptly close their mouths. The Marauders made their way over to the seventh year girls, Peter and Remus looking apologetic whilst James and Sirius continued to grin, albeit silently.

"Have you seen Frank?" Alice asked, knowing he had gone out to join the snowball fight.

"He went to the kitchens to get something for you." Peter offered as flopped down to the floor and stretched out. Alice smiled softly.

"Aright Evans?" Her boyfriend asked as he slid in between her and Marlene, slinging an arm over her shoulder. Lily glared at him.

"You're freezing. Go sit next to Remus."

"Nah. I'm relying on your hotness to get me warm in no time at all."

"Prongs, please stop flirting." Sirius groaned as he squashed himself next to Marlene, propping his feet up on Peter's stomach.

"For once I am agreeing with Sirius. No shut up, the lot of you." Remus intoned, leaning against the sofa Mary was sat on and taking his hat off. Snow clung to his hair despite the hat and it wasn't hard to guess which one of the Marauders had been worse off in the fight. Despite her reservations Lily snuggled into James body, the chill of the snow on him unnoticeable in comparison to how cold his lips were when they brushed against Lily's forehead.

Someone had turned the radio up and everyone listened in again.

"Darcy Greengrass has been been reported missing by her husband. She was last seen in Diagon Alley. If any one has any news on her whereabouts please contact us so we can take action, her family is missing her. Now we go to the muggle deaths." Lily was only half listening because James was sneaking his hand under her top and pressing his ice cold palm against her warm waist. Lily wanted to protest but didn't want to draw attention to them so instead tried to remove his hand using sheer force. It wasn't the touching she minded it was the fact that it was fucking freezing, the bastard. "And just two hours ago, a Mr and Mrs Evans were found dead in their homes by their daughter, who was luckily enough to escape the attack because she was out of the house. It has been reported that the Evans family have another daughter who is attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We will now have a moment of silence for the eight muggles who have lost their lives due to You-Know-Who." It was no longer James hand that was making her cold.

Lily was frozen, eyes locked on the radio. _No. It can't be. No. No no no no no. It is. _She could feel everyone's eyes looking at her, the people in the lower years not sure if the surname was a coincidence or not. Her friends knew. They had all met her parents at one time or another. Mr and Mrs Evans were dead. Suddenly Lily wasn't cold. The ground had disappeared from beneath her feet and she felt clammy. A burning heat that pulsed in her chest.

"No! It can't be them, it can't be. No they're not dead they're not they're not no." Her words ran together as her voice broke and her eyes filled with tears. Around her her friends were trying to talk to her. People were shouting.

"Turn the radio off! Fucking turn it off!"

"Lily, Lily, speak to us."

"Are you alright?"

"Merlin... someone get McGonagall!"

"Lily. Listen to me. You're alright. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Look at me." She couldn't cry. She couldn't. James' voice sounded above the others and she looked at him, eyes meeting his, wanting to fall into the depths of hazel there and never resurface. Her body was shaking uncontrollably but she wasn't going to cry. In her head she was still screaming. _No no no, it can't be them. It can't be they're not dead. They're still alive. No no no no no... _

"She's in shock. Get everyone out. James, you've got to get everyone to go to their dorms."

"I'm not leaving her Moony. You do it." James held onto her, pulling her into his lap and trying to hide her from the view of prying eyes. Mary and Alice started to help Remus, herding the other students up the dormitory stairs and not listening to any protestations. Sirius and Marlene had gone to get McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey, bursting out of the portrait and turning to run in other directions as the Fat Lady yelled after them, wanting to find out what all the rush was about.

"James. They're not dead. They can't be. Listen to me. Tell me they're not dead." His heart was shattering as he looked at the only girl he had ever loved and saw her cracking. He wanted it to be true. He wanted to be able to tell her that the reporter was wrong and that her parents were still alive. But he couldn't lie to her.

"Lily, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. You're alright." James repeated it like a mantra, pressing kisses to her forehead and holding her with all his might. As if he could keep her from breaking. Dorcas was trying to turn the radio off, hands shaking as she fiddled with the dials and again turned it to another station. Finally she pulled her wand out and silenced it, returning to James and Lily and ordering Peter to make the fire bigger.

The common room was empty save the seventh years and as McGonagall arrived with Madame Pomfrey, Marlene and Sirius sprinting in ahead of them, Lily started to cry. Curled up in James' arms, hating the radio and wishing the war was over. Wishing her parents were still alive and wishing that she could see them one more time. Wishing that she wasn't freezing cold again and shivering. Wishing she was dead instead of them.


	2. Fallen Leaves

Prompt: James and lily cuddling by the fire, maybe leads to something else ;)

* * *

People had trickled through the common room all evening, coming up from dinner and spending a few minutes with their friends before drifting up to their dorms. There had been a large feast tonight in honour of Dumbledore's birthday and the excellent food had made people tired. The seventh years had remained in the common room, determined to be the last ones to leave so they could catch some peace and quiet together before they slept.

Marlene and Sirius were playing a game of chess, building up an equal pile of taken pieces. Their figures yelled abuse at each other, neither player needing to use a lot of command to get their pieces to move; they were experts and their pieces obeyed their every word. Peter, Remus and Dorcas were studying a large book on Charms, the boys helping Dorcas with a question she had become stuck on in her homework. Mary had dozed off, head nodding onto Benjy Fenwick - who didn't seem to mind. James and Lily were curled up on the sofa closest to the fire, Lily with her legs curled up under her whilst she read and James simply watching her, studying her face as her eyes flicked across the page. _Merlin, she's gorgeous. _

It was a thought that never seemed to leave his mind but at moments like these it burst to the forefront. Her dark red hair was lighter in the fire's warm glow, casting intricate shadows across her face and looking like the leaves that fell in autumn. James smiles gently, squeezing her closer to his side and pressing a kiss among the fallen leaves.

"You know you could just take a picture." Lily says dryly, not looking up from her book as she turns a page.

"What for? I have the real thing." He saw the corner of her lips twitch up even as her eyes continue to go back and forth across the page. "What are you reading, anyway?"

"Muggle book."

"That's informative."

"I thought so too." They fall silent again, the redhead turning the page whenever she reached the bottom and James enjoying the feel of her warm body pressed so close to him; closer than he ever thought it would be. A few minutes later and Sirius and Marlene had finished their game (Marlene the apparent victor) and were arguing over the checkmate she had called. Lily blocks out their voices, focusing on the words and trying not to be distracted by the feel of her boyfriend's lip brushing against her head every so often. It's harder than she expected it to be. Finally she can't concentrate anymore and she sets her book down on the floor, dropping it and then turning so she can rest her head on James' chest instead of his shoulder. He smiles.

"Any good?" He asks.

"Bit too bony for me."

"I meant the book you prat." He wrapps his other arm around her, pulling her onto his lap and burying his face in her hair.

"It is good. It's called _A Study in Scarlet_. It's about a detective called Sherlock Holmes and his mate John Watson. Sherlock's basically an uptight arse and..." she continues to talk, telling him the basis of the characters and the plot, of murders and London and Doctors but he isn't listening to her words, just the sleepiness lacing her voice and the interest sewn there. "...basically they just investigate stuff together until Sherlock figures it out."

"I've heard of him." James realized it about halfway through the summary of the bit she had read up to. "Sirius told me about him." At her quizzical glance, he expands. "Muggle Studies. They're looking at Muggle Literature."

"Oh. I could probably lend him a few books." She looks thoughtful and James smirks, knowing that Sirius probably wouldn't appreciate that contribution, no matter the good intention behind it.

"So, does this bloke have a wife?" He squeezes her gently and she looks up at him, lightly brushing a kiss on his chin.

"Nope."

"I have something better than a wife." James looks down his nose at her and Lily holds back a laugh. That's definitely not a facial expression that will have girls falling at his feet.

"Really, what's that?" And although she knows his answer, it still makes her heart flutter;

"You."

Almost subconsciously they move and then they're kissing, eyes closed with the fleeting memory of green and hazel, hands slipping under jumper hems to bring her closer, hands knotting in black hair to hold him there, mouths pressing hot and warm against each other. Lips as familiar as each other's faces. All too soon it finishes, though neither willingly stop until a slipper collides with James' hip.

"Oi! Prongs." They break apart, foreheads resting against each other as he continues to kiss her; gentler as his lips touch her mouth for only a second each time. "Seriously, James. That's disgusting."

"I think it's wonderful." Lily answers, only letting James hear her words.

"Merlin's arse. Enough already." Marlene groans and the couple smile, turning their heads away to look at their friends (all of whom who look quite put out by the show of affection) but not moving their hands or letting the other return to their position prior to the heavy kiss.

"I'd apologize but I enjoyed that immensely so I'd be lying." This time, the slipper hits his head.


	3. Ice Creams

Prompt: Jily- ice cream

* * *

"James. No one - not even _Dumbledore _- eats ice cream in January. I'm freezing my tits off, can't we just go into the Three Broomsticks? The others will be in there."

"So you'd rather spent our date, which you wanted to have, with Sirius, Remus, Peter, Mary and whoever else we can find?" James continues to look at the list of ice creams tacked up outside a new cafe they had happened across in Hogsmeade, carefully deliberating if it's worth going in there or not.

"I'd rather spend our date being able to feel my tits." Lily retorts, looking over her shoulder to see if she can see any source of warmth near them. All that greets her is the sight of snow continuing to fall and she dreads the walk back up to Hogwarts through the drifts that will definitely have formed by the time they leave.

"I could feel your tits, for both of us." He says nonchalantly and then groans as her fist collides with his rib cage. "Hey!" The black-haired boy yelps out, not expecting the hit.

"Don't be an arse or I _will _go to the Three Broomsticks and I will spend the rest of _our _date _without you._" She emphasizes the words, crossing her arms and glaring at her boyfriend. She feels like she's nine again and whining to her dad for being cold but she can't help it. Lily loves the snow but when you can feel it melting down your back - despite the three extra layers you put on that morning, _specifically _to stop the snow from getting to you - cold isn't your best friend.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry. I was just joking anyway. Now, you want to come in? It's deserted, it looks warm and I bet they have hot chocolate as well as ice cream." He pushes open the door and waits for her to make a decision. Usually she wouldn't have agreed to his ridiculous idea of getting ice creams (it's _January _for Agrippa's sake! she thinks) but the chance of letting her frozen fingers thaw out is once she doesn't want to miss.

"Just this once. And we're not staying for more than ten minutes." Lily glares at him until he agrees and then steps gratefully into the warmth.

Twenty minutes later and they're still in the small cafe, layers discarded over the backs of their chairs as they talk.

"It's really good. You have to try it."

"No." She takes another sip of her - second - hot chocolate and shakes her head. "I'm not having ice cream when I've only just got the feeling back into my toes."

"It's not that cold!" James counters and Lily rolls her eyes, running a hand through her hair.

"It's called _ice _cream James, sweetie."

"Well done, _darling_." He takes another lick of the chocolate cone and Lily shivers, imagining how cold it must be. James doesn't even flinch. "You're missing out you know."

"I sure I am. What I'm _not _missing though is not being able to feel any part of my body." She looks away from him as the waitress comes over, offering the couple a smile.

"You happy here?"

"Yes, thank you."

"She doesn't want the ice cream." Lily shoots a glare at James, who grins at both women, and then looks back at the waitress.

"Too cold for me." The waitress laughs understandingly.

"Of course. I'm the same." And then she turns and walks back through the curtains that separate the main cafe from the back.

"You're not two years old."

"I could be, for all you know."

"Two year olds can't kiss as well as you."

"My, is that a compliment?"

"Three your olds can."

"And you would know that, obviously." James smirks at her, resting his elbows on the table in between them and holding the cone so the ice cream is just by her mouth. "One lick and I won't ask you about it again until Summer." For a moment she debates it and then she sticks her tongue out, shuddering at the coldness. As soon as it's in her mouth she scrunches her face up, shaking her head furiously.

"Cold. Cold. I hate you. Cold. Oh, wow." She opens her eyes and despite the cold still sliding down her throat, Lily smiles at him. He's laughing, tipping his head back and really laughing. "You're ridiculous. And that was bloody freezing."

James looks at her, leaning the chair back so it stands on only it's two back legs.

"But delicious." It takes a moment and then Lily concedes.

"Delicious."


	4. Awful Ideas

Prompt: Jily take dancing classes

* * *

"You just stepped on my foot. Again."

"I didn't."

"Ow! And that's the eighth time."

"Don't be a berk."

"You're the one who said we didn't need to worry, that we'd be fine. Imagine if we _hadn't _gotten these lessons and we'd have looked like this on our _wedding _day." James retorts, eyes seemingly fixated on his feet as Lily scowls at her fiance's black mop of hair.

"Well I'm sorry for remembering dancing to be a lot more _fun _than this."

"Apology accepted." James looks up and gives her a fleeting smile, hazel eyes scanning over her shoulder as they do a 360 turn and Lily - once again - stumbles on James' foot. "Merlin's sake." James looks back down at their feet.

"Oh, shut up will you. I feel bad enough already for being absolutely shit at this."

"Tut, tut, tut." Lily holds in a groan as she looks over her shoulder to see the dance instructor approaching."Negativity is not welcome in my class Miss Evans."

"Fuck off Padfoot." Whilst he may resent his Black upbringing, one thing that had come in handy for the wedding was the fact that all the Black children had had to have two years of regimented ballroom dancing lessons. Sirius might have set the curtains on fire, covered the floor in ice and turn the dance instructor's dress a Gryffindor red - the three most notable tricks he performed in the two years - but he had still managed to pick up the basics, and a little extra too. Which was why - much to the bride and groom party's distaste - the Potter Manor's large ballroom had been occupied for the last three days.

"James, don't question my authority." Sirius was grinning, positively _radiating _delight at his friend's expenses. He hadn't stopped beaming since James had asked him to give them all dancing lessons. Well, since Lily asked. James had refused to be the one to ask; 'I'm not asking that stuck up ponce, who I have known since I was _eleven _to give me _dancing lessons. _Have you forgotten who we're talking about? Sirius fucking Black. I am not asking him; it's a breach of my fundamental rights as both friend, fiance and future husband. _You_ can do it.'

"Sirius, stop being such an _arse _already and just show us how to do it, please." It was a sentence Lily hoped never to utter again. The boy's grin grew wider (if that was even possible) and he nods.

"The magic word was just 'please'." James looks severely pissed off as he folds his arms and watches his best mate put his hands on his fiance. He's not even jealous. Just annoyed at the fact that he can't dance, Lily can't dance and Sirius can. He watches from his position in the middle of the dance floor as Sirius begins to instruct Lily the proper steps for the waltz. Remus and Mary come up behind him, beginning to dance around him in circles so they can talk without ceasing their movements.

"It's annoying, isn't it?"

"Too right Moony."

"I'm actually quite enjoying myself!" Mary smiles, her words spoken both in truth and in jest. James scowls and Remus shakes his head at her, obviously appalled.

"It's not too hard once you get the hang of it. It's just getting the hang of it... is, well, hard." Remus stated, the couple completely one more turn before waltzing off to be closer to the record player.

His eyes drift back to Lily and Sirius and he tries to focus on her instead of the dancing. James looks at how a tuft of curly hair, too short to be pulled into her bun, peeks out at the nape of her neck. How the Muggle dress she's wearing twirls out and around her legs as Sirius spins her. How her barefeet touch the floor for a moment longer than required in dancing. How she stumbles every so often until, finally, she and Sirius manage a whole ten "1, 2, 3's, 1, 2, 3's" without any fault in footwork.

"Right, your turn." Sirius twirls Lily once more as they approach James and she twists into her fiance's arms, looking up at him through her eyelashes and grinning. Her cheeks are flushed slightly and her eyes softened, no longer holding traces of the earlier, constant, aggravation. Now the aggravation just sits in the firm set of her jaw line.

"James, dearie, he wants you to dance with him." She smirks.

"Right, because that'll be a first." James and Sirius share a look and then Sirius bows flamboyantly and Lily steps out of James' arms to watch the following events.

Instead of bowing, James curtsies and it isn't long before Peter and Dorcas have slowed to a halt and join Lily in watching the two best friends. They place their hands in the correct position and then they're off, dancing to a song only they can hear. One much quicker than the waltz and clearly more elaborate. Lily laughs as James' scowl vanishes and is replaced with a look of concentration. By the time James has performed two pirouettes and Sirius has leapt at least four times, all ten of the others have stopped to watch. It's an amusing sight seeing two nineteen year old males dancing a dance they clearly know well and have performed before. Especially when they do it so carefully. As if they cared whether they fucked it up or not.

When whatever song they could hear finished they bow and curtsy and then seem to shake off the noble stances they had acquired for the dance, high fiving each other and grinning.

"See, Evans! It's definitely you who's mucking it up!" James calls as they walk across to the group leaning or sitting by the door.

"Definitely. I've never seen such elegance before, pray tell where you two gawky prigs learnt to dance like that." She answers.

"I'm-a-snob-academy and pure talent." Is his reply, pointing first at Sirius and then at himself. Sirius gives him a little shove.

"Right, show's over folks. What are you, circus goers? Tourists? No. Back to work." It doesn't take more than a minute for Sirius to embrace his inner-teacher ('inner-wanker more like' James had corrected when Sirius referred to it as such) and they all groan and grudgingly begin their dancing again.

"See, much better now." Sirius throws the comment to James and Lily as he tries to teach Peter the tango (the biggest result he's getting is Dorcas in a fit of giggles) and the pair grin at each other.

"You've improved Evans."

"So have you Potter."

"Alas, I am still better than you, by far. Just like transfiguration all over again."

"And what did you get in your Potions? Do remind me. Oh, wait, no, I can remember. Oh yes - an A. Whereas fabulous _me _received an O."

"You're insufferable." James laughs, spinning Lily out and then drawing her in close again. Ignoring the song that's playing, they dance slowly, bodies pressed closely together and swaying as they take steps to spin them in large and uncoordinated circles. Lily tucks her head under James chin, pressing her ear to his chest and listening to his steady heart beat. "I still love you though." He whispers, adding on to their last string of conversation. And just as Lily is about to reply, Remus flies past them dragged along by Sirius, who calls out;

"Now we move to the Foxtrot!"


	5. Mistaken Antlers

Prompt: Lily wearing a christmas sweater that has reindeers, which obviously look like stags, and James notices

* * *

James has been glancing at her non stop since she came downstairs in the christmas jumper, an early christmas present from Dorcas, and Lily is now struggling to hide a grin. As soon as she had unwrapped the jumper she had noted the pattern; small, white reindeer forming lines that wrapped around the whole thing, printed onto a red background. It was a pretty jumper and a lot less garish than Lily had been expecting, so she had no problem with wearing it. It was warm too which was a definite plus. The only problem is (Lily isn't even sure if it's a problem) that the reinders look an awful lot like stags and to someone like James - a pureblood who didn't grow up with tales of Father Christmas and the reindeers who pulled his sleigh - it's more than a little bit confusing.

Once more she feels his eyes boring into the pattern as she places another ornament on the large tree they had bought that morning. In their small flat it takes up a lot of space but it's Christmas and when there's a war on, people tend to be more intent on diving completely into the holiday spirit than most years. She hasn't broached the subject of her jumper with him yet because she wants him to ask her. It might be a little mean of her but teasing James when he doesn't know he's being teased is always fun. They continue to decorate the tree in silence until James finally has had enough.

"Why are there stags on your jumper? It's a Christmas jumper, stags have nothing to do with Christmas." Lily laughs, turning and smiling at him. James realises she's been waiting for him to ask and narrows his eyes at her.

"They're not stags."

"They bloody well are." He closes the distance between them and pokes one of the reinder on her midriff gently. "Antlers and everything. I know what a stag looks like. Those are stags." James speaks matter-of-factly, expecting to win the debate. Lily shakes her head.

"Fine, if you think they're stags, they're stags." She feigns nonchalance and shrugs, knowing that will annoy him more than anything, turning back to the box of ornaments and picking out the last one. It's a golden broomstick. She stretches up on tip toes and places it as near to the top of the tree as she can reach. With ease, James reaches over her - forcing his shoulder to press into her forehead - and moves it higher. Lily can feel the frustration in him as he looks down at her.

"If they're not stags, what are they then?" He's indignant. Lily tries not to laugh again.

"Reindeer." The redhead raises her eyebrows at him as she pulls her hair back into a loose ponytail and James' forehead creases.

"What's a reindeer? Because I think it's just pretending to be a stag." Crossing his arms he raises his eyebrows as well.

"They're real animals. Just... their link to Christmas is a lot more questionable. Basically Muggles have this story that they tell their children that there's this jolly fat man who lives in the North Pole. He's got a round belly, rosy cheeks, bushy white beard-"

"Like a fat Dumbledore?" James interjects.

"I guess. But this guy isn't a wizard. He has all these elves and they spend all year making presents for every single child in the world. Then, on Christmas Eve, Father Christmas - that's the fat bloke - gets in his sleigh and delivers all the presents to the children. He climbs down the chimney, puts them in a stocking, eats the biscuits and drinks the milk and then flies off to the next house." James' brow is getting more and more creased as Lily continues and she can't help but smirk at him. "But that's only if you're good. If you're bad you just get coal in your stocking. Parents use it to cajole their kids into being good - 'if you're bad, Father Christmas won't bring you your presents this year!' or whatever."

"What do the roandoes have to do with it?"

"Reindeer, James. They pull the sleigh; see, in this story, their are eight reinders with magic powers or some bollocks who can fly and they pull Father Christmas' sleigh along. That's why they're on my jumper." Lily watches as James takes all this in, clearly considering what she's said and analysing it in detail.

"How does he get around the whole world in one night though? I mean it might be possible in the future when they bring out the new Nimbus but even then he'd have to start at least a day in advance - probably more than that - and you said he drove a sleigh. So he can't do it on a broomstick. I guess there's got to be room for the-"

Lily interrupts him with a snort, slapping her hand over her mouth when he looks at her sharply.

"Don't laugh at me."

"James, he's not real. Muggle parents made him up to get their children to be good. All he is is your parents sneaking downstairs and putting presents in your stocking. It's not some fat man coming down the chimney - he'd have been arrested years ago. Or shot."

"How do you know he's not real?" James counters, crossing his arms.

"He's just not. It's not possible."

"Right. That's what you thought about magic too, before you got your letter to Hogwarts." Lily sputters slightly, taken aback that James has taken such an interest in the myth.

"I'm not going to discuss the reality of Father Christmas with you James!"  
"Fine. Why are there stags on your jumper then?"

"They're reindeers."

"Looks like stags to me." Lily sighs and then grabs the collar of his shirt, pulling him down so she can whisper into his ear. At the top of her jumper there are two reindeers larger than the others, antlers pointed towards each other as if they might kiss. As soon as she'd seen the jumper she'd realised why Dorcas had chosen it, specifically for her.

"If it makes you feel better," she breathes into her boyfriend's ear, "the two at the top... well, I've named them James and Lily."


	6. Compromising Interruptions

Prompt: Jily make out session caught by Sirius and then they discuss it with Sirius

* * *

They've been holed up in James' dorm for about fifteen minutes now and for about ten of them, they'd been kissing. They hadn't exactly _meant _to start making out, but the snogging kind of just… happened sometimes. At the start Lily had just come up because she had a free period and she knew James did too. Dorcas was in the library working on her Charms essay, Marlene and Mary had Arithmancy and the three other Marauders where Merlin knows where.

James had been dozing but he hadn't minded the interruption of Lily settling down next to him on his bed and starting to read. It was only when he started to fidget - she had shifted so her body angled on to his slightly and having that sort of pressure on his inner thigh led to quite a bit of agitation - that the kissing had started. Lily had turned to see what why the hell he kept moving and then he had bit his lip, flushed and Lily had grinned. It had taken less than a second for them to start kissing, lips crushing each other as they moved so Lily lay on top of him, hands knotted in his hair as his own hands gripped tightly onto her hips.

Since they started kissing they'd moved into a more comfortable position and James was currently propped up on one elbow so he didn't crush her (despite Lily's comment that he was too skinny to even crush a ladybug), one hand massaging her waist below her top. Lily had her hands tightly wrapped around his neck, fingers twirling the shorter hairs at the nape of his neck as he took his lips away from hers and started to kiss along her jawline.

"Merlin James, something's gotten into you." Lily smiles, a little breathless as he starts to pepper kisses along her collarbone.

"Might have been the potion I took yesterday." He says, inbetween kisses, "Sirius did say he wasn't sure the dealer was legit." Laughing, Lily tickles his neck and he looks at her, his eyes bright behind his glasses, a smile hinting on his lips.

"You are daft." James winks and starts to kiss her properly again, teeth tugging slightly at her lower lip as her hands tighten in his hair. Neither of them hear the dormitory door open and it is only when James' bed curtains are pulled roughly open that they notice someone has come into the room.

"Oh Merlin's saggy fucking balls!" It's Sirius. "What in the name of Agrippa are you doing? My _eyes._" The couple had broken apart when the curtains opening startled them and now they watch, amused, as Sirius clutches his face and falls to the floor, as if he's been hexed. "I'm blinded! Foul, disgusting act of fornicating. The youth has run wild! I will never be able to see again." James rolls off of Lily and she pouts jokingly at the sudden loss of heat. In response he wraps and arm around her shoulders.

"Sirius, don't be a knob. Get up."

"I cannot! I am blind!" He continues to wail on the floor, ever the drama queen, until James throws a pillow at him. Then he stands up and scowls, the drama queen replaced by a real Black. "Seriously though, this is a complete and utter violation of the rules. Quite literally." He raises a pointed eyebrow at James who groans and leans back against the headboard, shaking his head. "It's also disgusting, crude and I don't like it. I can accept you two going out. I can tolerate you two holding hands. I can _ignore _your blatant flirting. But I will not accept you two snogging in my dorm." He crosses his arms.

"Grow up Sirius." Lily rolls her eyes, ignoring the look her boyfriend shoots her. "It's just kissing."

"'It's just kissing.'" He imitates her voice in response, raising his broken one about ten octaves higher and then glaring at Lily. "It's not. It's a breach of the rules."

Lily looks between James and Sirius.

"He's right." James sits back up and takes his arm from around Lily's shoulders, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "We have rules."

"Merlin! I can't believe you four. You're like a sodding secret society!" Lily throws up her hands in disbelief and tells herself that she should never get involved with a bloke with friends ever again.

"Nice alliteration."

"Fuck off Black."

"Lily… in third year, when Sirius decided he wanted to ask out that fourth year Ravenclaw, we decided to make some rules. About girls."

"I gathered." Lily interjects dryly.

"Padfoot was never gonna get the girl," James quells Sirius' contradiction with a look, "but the rules stayed. There are just three. One, no snogging in the dorms. Two, no sex in the dorms. Three, rules one and two can be broken only if three out of four, or more, agree that the girl is…" he trails off, looking suddenly embarrassed.

"Good enough." Sirius finishes for him, clearly paraphrasing.

"Un-fucking-believable you lot are."

"We were about thirteen Lily." James tries to justify the rules, failing miserably as Lily arches an eyebrow at him. It was a skill James used to admire in her but he's realized, since he started dating her, that the eyebrow arch isn't a good thing to be on the end off. "Anyway, the rules don't apply here because Lily _is _good enough."

"Humph." Sirius makes a sound like an indignant four year old and Lily resists the urge to smirk at the drama queen.

"In that case, if all is said and done, I'd like to get back to breaking rule one." She looks at James who also looks eager to return to what they were doing before Sirius interrupted them. "Sirius, it's just a snog. I'm not sucking out his soul, for Agrippa's sake!"

"Still." Sirius mutters as he leaves the room, clearly not happy with how the discussion ended.

"Wow. Rules huh?" Lily smirks at James, her lips smoothing out into a grin when he starts to tickle her.

"Yes. We were very horny teenagers."

"Still are apparently." She manages to get out between fits of laughter.

The next day they move their make out session to a broom cupboard on the fourth floor, thinking that this time they can't be interrupted. Lily is just sliding her hands up James' chest when the door is flung open. They jump apart, thoughts of a furious McGonagall catching them in the act of snogging raging through their heads. But it's just Sirius. He stands in the doorway staring at them, a look of shock on his face. Then he turns around on his heel and stomps off, muttering about "breeding like rabbits."


	7. Furtive Glances

Prompt: James gets jealous because he thinks lily likes Remus but she's really just trying to get to him through his friends

* * *

James was being childish. He knows this and yet he has shoved the thought firmly to the back of his mind, preferring to be immature rather than rational. His quill scribbles across the page as he tries to blot out his jealousy by finishing his DADA essay. It's not working. Throwing down the quill - the ink sprays and his last five sentences are lost - he drops his head into hands, fingers pushing his glasses up to rest just by his hair line. He rubs his eyes and then looks sighs, leaning back in the chair and taking his hands away from his face.

"Shouldn't be jealous. Just a girl." James mutters to himself as he stuffs away his ink pot and quill. Despite his words though he can't help but be jealous. He's been in love with Lily Evans for two years now and it's considered general knowledge that he likes her. Yet she chooses to hang around with Remus instead and shoot him furtive looks, as if rubbing it in that it's Remus she's chosen and not him. "Just friends, Merlin's balls. She wants more than fucking friendship." He continues to mutter to himself as he rolls up his essay and drops it messily into his bag. There's no point trying to finish it when he can't even concentrate. He'll start it again in the evening, he tells himself.

It had started about two weeks ago; Lily spending more and more time with Remus and letting her eyes flick over to James whenever she felt him looking. James sighs and walks out of the library, trying to figure out when her friendship with Remus turned into her having a crush on him. His eyes stay on the floor as he turns a corner and it's only when he spots a pair of feet coming towards him that he looks up. _Speak of the Devil and she will appear. _He thinks, turning his gaze back to the ground before the redhead can see him looking. She hasn't seem him yet but when she looks up from the paper in her hand she spots him.

"James!" He had tried to walk past but she had snatched at his wrist, stopping him and causing him to spin around and face her. There's a hesitant smile on her face, - _She's beautiful. _- as if she's trying to think of something in a hurry and James scowls back. "I was, just um, wondering if you've seen Remus?" His scowl deepens.

"No I bloody haven't." He shakes his wrist free of her hand and starts to walk away again when the desperation in her voice stops him.

"James, please!"

"What?" The bespectacled boy turns, looking at her with both adoration and annoyance in his eyes.

"I just... I'm not really looking for Remus." Lily looks more nervous now and James takes a step back towards her. "I was going to the library because Peter said that's where you were."

Now he's confused.

"Why are you looking for me?"

Now she's exasperated.

"Because I want to talk to you, you dipstick!"

"Why?" His brow creases - _Merlin, that's cute. _Lily thinks - and he crosses his arms.

"You haven't spoken to me in a while."

"Well it's not as if you're usually begging for my expert conversation skills." James replies dryly. Lily blushes.

"No, but, you seem annoyed. And, I don't think you should be." She holds up a hand as he goes to interrupt her. "You think I like Remus. I don't. Well, not as boyfriend potential or anything. I like him as a friend."

"Then why are you flirting with him all the time?" He shoots in before she can continue.

"I'm not! We're just talking. I've been wanting to talk to _you_. That's why I've been hanging around with him a lot more; because you're always with him. I thought if I started to hang around with him you might talk to me more, instead of just when I'm walking past you or sitting near you. I, well, I want to be friends with you." She looks up at him through her eyelashes and his heart nearly fails.

James is at a loss for words. He knows she's no longer friends with Snape since the "incident" and that she'd been a lot more open when he'd been teasing her of late but that she actually wanted to be _friends _and had actually told him that, straight out, was not something he was expecting

"What?" He finally manages to ask.

"I want to be friends with you. You've changed and I've released that you're not as much of an arse as I thought you were." _How does she expect me not to have a heart attack when she says stuff like _that_? _James thinks, disbelief flashing across his face.

"So you were just using Remus to get to me?"

"Not at all. He's lovely and we are good friends. I've just been actively hanging around him when he's near _you_, which I've never done before. I wouldn't use my friend James; he knew." She rolls her eyes and then smiles gently, shrugging her shoulders. "What do you think then?"

"Friends, definitely friends." The words rush together as if he's worried she'll suddenly change her mind. Lily grins and then James is smiling too, suddenly ecstatic.

"This doesn't mean I'm going to go out with you. I'll see you at dinner, Potter." She doesn't wait around, just says that and then walks off. James watches her go, still slightly confused. But it doesn't take him long to turn and sprint.

It takes him five minutes less than it usually does for him to get back to Gryffindor common room, sped by his happiness. He bursts inside - a few heads turn to look at him - and scans the room for Moony. When he spots him he doesn't waste anytime, jumping over a low table to get to his friend faster. When he does he barrels into him, knocking Remus' book aside and hugging him briefly.

"Merlin, Prongs, what's the matter?" James lets go and Remus pushes him off, winded.

"Lily asked me to be _her friend._" Moony looks amused. The look changes to one of wariness however, when James rests his hands on Remus' knees and looks him directly in the eye. "Thank you."

"I didn't _do _anything, James. Now that you're her friend, are you going to stop being such a jealous knob?"

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry." Remus grins and James sits on the armchair opposite him, a smile still plastered on his face. "This is brilliant. Absolutely fucking fantastic. Oh, and by the way, it was me who took your book. Sorry, I was pissed and jealous. It's under my mattress." Remus glares at him but James doesn't notice.

For the rest of the evening he continues to voice how happy he is, not shutting up even when Sirius threatens to hex him. The next day he receives a detention for not having finished his DADA essay but he doesn't care because Lily comes up to him at the end and asks if he wants to finish the essay with her, whilst she does her Charms. James is in top of the world. Lily Evans is his _friend_.


	8. Broken Dreams

Prompt: The love affair between disabled!James Potter and quidditch

* * *

James shifts in his sleep, his eyes opening slightly before shutting again. Lily looks up at the movement and reaches forwards to adjust the duvet, not wanting him to get cold. The ward they're in this time is larger than the one before and a lot colder, especially as James' bed is right at the end, furthest from the heater. Happy that he cant get cold, Lily returns to reading her book, no idea what James is dreaming of.

_"And Potter has the quaffle! He's going for it... dodges a bludger, close shave there, woah! Straight spin through Wetley and Partridge, almost there... teammate Harrow is supporting behind... he shoots and he scores!" James lets out a whoop has he turns sharply on his broom, lifting his fist into the air as the crowd cheers for him. A grin is plastered on his face as he celebrates the goal but then he has to dive to try and interject the quaffle being thrown, a look of concentration replacing the one of celebration. And he interjects it, swooping low and pulling the quaffle tightly to his chest before the other team's chaser can grab it. And he's back off towards their goal, no hindrance, flying as if his back isn't broken. "And Potter has it again! He's nearing the goals! No point trying now I think Partridge... It's in! Poor save there from Jones but for Potter, another spectacular goal!" The crowd is still cheering for him, chanting his name. _

It happened in fourth year. Most injuries can be fixed easily, especially broken bones, but this had been a nasty one. A bludger had knocked him off his broom during the Hufflepuff vs Gryfindor match. It had been raining, the droplets pelting down in sheets that partly obscured the players. No one had seen him fall until he was going too fast to slow. He'd slammed into the ground, knocked out immediately, and had woken up four days later in St Mungo's. It had been the worst day of his life. His mum and dad had been there - "Oh, James, we've been so worried!" - and Sirius had been allowed to come visit him the next day - "Mate... Merlin, I'm sorry. This is fucking bollocks." - and then all three other Marauders had come on the weekend - "James this is awful." Remus had said, Peter had gone for the "so unfair" tactic whilst Sirius continued swearing and trying to get the nurses to help him until eventually he was asked to leave - all of them trying to comfort him. It hadn't worked. He couldn't feel his legs; he'd never be able to walk again, let alone fly. James had had to stay in St Mungo's for a month whilst they tried to fix the problem, figured out they couldn't, found a way to make it so he could continue at Hogwarts and told him it would get better. That'd he'd get used to it. James hadn't believed one word.

Sometimes he would try... push himself up out of his magically altered wheelchair and attempt to take a single step. But as soon as he let go off the arms of the chair, he crumpled. It hurt when he tried but he refused to give up. Monthly he visited St Mungo's - for two years - trying to figure out how they could possibly fix it. They'd had cases like this before they said; cases too severe to be fixed by magic. He'd only stopped when Lily had asked him to. She said she hated it at the hospital, hated having to wait whilst he was jabbed at and she couldn't do anything to help whenever he let out a yelp. He couldn't feel his legs but his back ached.

Instead of playing he'd had to make up for it by watching quidditch. He refused to go to any of the school matches because he didn't want to watch Gatway - his replacement - doing what he felt he should be doing. So for Christmas and birthdays he only ever asked for quidditch tickets to professional games. Lily and Remus never indulged him because they felt that the more he obsessed over it, the worse it would be when he finally did lose hope. Sirius, Peter and his parents provided the tickets though; and the scarfs, the figurines, the snitches, the omnoculars, the t-shirts, the jerseys... everything. He attended every game and although he hated the stares he got (wizards weren't used to people in wheelchairs) he enjoyed them. James would yell as loud as any of the other fans attending, whether it was abuse or support, and the tactics he came up with were as good as any professional captains. What he never told anyone, was that he hated himself for it.

Hated himself for falling, for not managing to hold onto his broom, for landing in that specific position, for not being amendable, for not being able to fly. It had been his dream; to become a professional quidditch player. He couldn't even fight in the war properly. James hated himself for being useless. His friends knew he wasn't happy with his condition but they didn't realize how unhappy.

Last night's incident had been the worse one yet. He'd retrieved his old broomstick from where Lily had hidden it and placed it at the top of the stairs. There were banisters on either side of the short staircase and he'd use them to lift himself up, his surprising upper body strength (built up over the years of having to haul himself in an out of the chair) allowing him to hang there whilst he swung back and forth. Lily was out in the garden, sunbathing. She thought James had gone inside just to get some sun cream. It was when she heard the crash she knew that wasn't true. She'd never moved faster in her life.

James had been in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, unconscious, his broomstick tangled in his limbs. He'd to swing himself onto it and it had almost worked. Except he'd put to much of his weight on one side and, because he couldn't use tighten his legs, he'd just gone tumbling down the stairs. The broom was a good one but an old model, unused for years, and not ready for the sudden weight it had had thrown onto its back. Lily had been terrified. Worried that he had finally done it and that this was it. She'd apparated to St Mungo's and never been more grateful to see Sirius, Remus or Peter when they sprinted into reception. James was being seen by the doctors and she'd been told to wait. It was much easier to do with their friends there. Although they were just as worried as she was. "All he wants to do is ride a broomstick again." She had sobbed to them, shaking uncontrollably.

"Lils..." She drops her book to the floor and looks at him, a soft smile gracing her features as she sees his eyes open. "I'm so sorry Lily." He groans and she shakes her head, leaning forward and snatching up his hand.

"I don't care what you did... you're alive, you're alright."

"No, I'm sorry for scaring you." She lets out a shaky laughs and leans forward, pressing kisses all over his face. Her lips tremble. "Alright, slow down, I know I'm good looking but please." James voice is soft and croaky and almost unrecognizable. Lily hates it.

"You daft thing. I love you."

"I love you too." He looks at her, not quite able to focus because he hasn't got his glasses on. He can pick out her green eyes though, wet with tears, her red cheeks that are stained and her dark hair, tangled and just hinting with grease. "I just want to fly again." Her heart flutters and she bites her lip, closing her eyes to regain her composure. Then she slips into the bed next to him, helping him to budge over so there's room for her. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her tight, whispering into her ear. "Just one more time, that's all I need."

"I know love, I know."


	9. Beastly Buckets

Prompt: James is claustrophobic

* * *

"Potter!" She whispers his name but it still echoes down the stone corridor and she looks over her shoulder, wary of Mrs Norris or Filch. A few moments pass and Lily Evans frowns, starting to walk forwards again. She had stopped a minute ago when she saw a flash of red and gold striped socks, seemingly unattached to a leg, appear a few paces in front of her. Aware that she looks foolish, the redhead stretches her hands out in front of her and tries to see if she can grab something, to no avail. Under the cloak James smirks, raising his eyebrows as he watches the new Head Girl miss him by an inch with her outstretched hands. He gives it a second before pulling off the cloak, ending her embarrassment.

"Evans." Lily turns sharply, recognizing his voice, and straightens her lips out.

"What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same question." It's a perfectly viable response but Lily still lets her brow crease, annoyance forming as she realizes she should of just let it go. Then she notices the two fairy cakes in his left hand and it's her turn to raise her eyebrows.

"Visiting the kitchens, _again, _I see." James shrugs, almost as if it's prerogative to do so.

"Out after hours, _again_, I see." He doesn't miss a beat in replying but she's too concerned about his words to bother with wit.

"What?"

"I said, out after hours again." The black haired boy leans casually against the wall, taking this chance to tuck the cloak into the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, smiling so that butterflies hatch in Lily's stomach.

"Well that's a blatant lie." And even though it's the truth that this isn't the first time this week she's been wandering the corridors after curfew, she doesn't let it show.

"No, but what you just said was." James isn't really bothered about the rule breaking, his interest lies in why. He's been in love with the girl in front of him since fifth year and wandering the halls alone is out of character for her - he would know.

"If I remember correctly we were talking about you being in the corridors after hours."

"I don't know if you do remember correctly though; you can't seem to recall the trips you took to the library last night - or the night before that in fact."

"How in Merlin's name did-" Lily never gets to finish that sentence though because at that second a voice sounds from James' pocket.

"James! James!"

"Have you shrunken Sirius?" Despite being dubious about her question, Lily is still indignant when James laughs and shakes his head.

"Don't be daft." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a mirror. Instead of reflecting James and Lily though, Lily sees Sirius Black staring up at them. In the corner she spots Remus trying to get into the frame.

"Stop flirting and hide. Filch is coming your way. Two corridors down and Mrs Norris is near too. You'll be expelled for sure if you get caught this time."

"Don't be such a drama queen, Padfoot." Remus finally manages to push his head into the mirror and he looks from Lily - who is still staring, shocked, at the mirror - to James. "But I would advise hiding. He's closing in fast."

"Gotcha. See you in a bit lads." James shoves the mirror into his pocket and looks up and down the corridor, biting his lower lip. Lily had noticed how he did that whenever he was thinking something through and, last week in Transfiguration, she had decided that she liked it. Not that she was actually ready to admit that to herself.

"What was that?" Stopping herself from staring at his lips - it was quite hard - she pokes him in the shoulder, drawing his attention back to her.

"A mirror. We've got to hide."

"We could just run." Lily points out but he shakes his head.

"Norris will cut us off." Deciding that, as a Marauder, James probably knows more about this sort of thing then she does, Lily looks down the corridor and spots the obvious. A broom cupboard James has apparently over looked.

"There then." He knows where she's pointing and he tries not to let his nerves show.

"No."

"Wow. James Potter turning down a close encounter with Lily Evans in a broom closet, what will he do next."

"Change his mind and accept the offer." He's thought it over and comes to the decision just as Filch's shuffling steps become audible.

"It wasn't an offer!" Lily hisses, following him at a jog as he runs to the cupboard.

"Oh just get in." She rolls her eyes but obeys anyway, much preferring to be trapped in a cupboard with Potter than in detention with Filch. The cupboard door shuts and the pair are enveloped in darkness. Lily can't see James expression but she can feel him. Pressed against her. Her left foot stands in between his and she can feel his warmth breath on her forehead. Their arms brush and his chest is against her shoulder. The butterflies are diving and somersaulting now, ecstatic at this contact. Lily thinks she'd much rather the butterflies burn in acid than be ecstatic but at the same time she feels a warmth spreading from wherever her body is against his. "You're shivering." He whispers, begging Merlin that she hasn't noticed his hands start to shake.

"It's cold."

"Can't be me." James refuses to let anything on but Lily notes how is breath is now more ragged, how his arms are shaking and how - when his palm knocks into her wrist - it's clammy.

"James, what's the matter?" Her voice is soft, both soothing and I-don't-want-to-be-caught.

"Nothing." Her first thoughts had been disgusted, certain that this close proximity had given Potter a bit of a... rush. Then she had realized it wasn't just the fact that her thighs were pressed against his causing him to shake and sweat.

"You're a dreadful liar in the dark."

"My hamartia." He mutters sarcastically, closing his eyes and trying to take big breaths. Down the corridor Filch's slippers scratch against the floor and Lily knows she has to calm him down before the caretaker hears his nervous breaths. Grabbing his wrists she looks up, hoping she's looking at his face and not a mop. Her eyes adjust to the dark and she sees the hazel glint.

"Whatever it is, don't worry. I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen."

"Yeah, because having your tits on my arm is totally _helping _the problem." He says quietly, not having let any part of Lily bloody Evans being pressed against him go amiss. "Oh, shit, I'm gonna die."

"No you're not, don't be stupid. What's wrong?" He wants to tell her but he's James I-Am-The-Coolest-Potter and admitting to Lily I-Am-The-Sexiest Evans that he's about to shit his pants because the walls are definitely closing in and the ceilings about to crush him is a ridiculous notion. "James."

Filch's steps approach the door and she slams her hand over James mouth, her other hand slipping into his in an attempt at comfort. Some how the lanky quidditch player has managed to shrink and now stands a head below her. As the caretaker's steps slowly pass the door, Lily feels James squeezing her hand tightly and she's sure her knuckles must be turning white.

James' heart is thrashing in his chest and he can't discern if it's from the fact that he's about to be squashed to death or the fact that his nose just brushed Lily's rib cage. He's so close to her and the walls are so close to them and he can feel the brick on his back, the brooms cluttering against him. Finally Filch passes the corridor and Lily takes her hand from James mouth, whispering softly.

"He's gone. You can stop sniffing me now." She's trying to make a joke, not sure why exactly James is shaking and... "Did you just whimper? Did James Potter, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, best friends with Sirius Black, leader of the Marauders... just _whimper_?" He comes to the conclusion that besides already being classed as a stuck-up specky git by the love of his life he will now be considered a complete and utter baby and decides that maybe he should just continue his route to the floor, curl up and die. "James... please, what's the matter?"

"The walls." He finally manages and Lily realizes.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry. Hey, are you okay?" She reaches over him, feeling for the door, and pushes it open, not caring now if Filch is standing right outside it. Sure, Potter maybe a bastard a lot of the time but hell if she's going to let him have a panic attack. "Look - open space. Be free small one."

"Not funny." He sighs as he hastily scrambles - very unattractively - out of the cupboard and spreads out his arms and legs. "Space, space, space." James whispers to himself and Lily holds back a laugh, watching the boy she's started to appreciate as actually quite good looking spin in dizzying circles. He knows he's exaggerating the relief now but he doesn't care about looking stupid because - Merlin's balls - he just spent at least five minutes pressed up against Lily Evans and - Godric's ghoul - he's not about to get over that in a hurry.

When he feels it's safe for him to stop spinning and Lily to not seem him in a state of slight arousal, he stops.

"You're the biggest dork I have ever met Potter."

"I'm claustrophobic."

"I guessed. I wasn't thinking you were scared of the monstrous mops."

"Clearly you've never woken up next to a mop... scary stuff."

"You recovered quickly." Lily says dryly, crossing her arms but smiling all the same.

"Well... you called me James. Is there a better remedy than that?"


	10. Drama Queen

Prompt: Jily asking Sirius to be godfather

* * *

Sirius watches from the doorway as James and Lily glare at each other, silently arguing about something. It takes a moment but it seems that Lily wins because she looks away from James, a smug smile on her face. It's then she spots Sirius at the door and the soft smile turns into a fully fledged grin.

"Sirius!"

"I was here an hour ago, no need to sound so excited." He's a bit confused as to why on earth Lily seems so ecstatic to see him but when he spots Harry curled up in a blanket he forgets his confusion and walks over, crouching down in front of James' seat and pulling back the blanket so he can see the sleeping baby's face properly. "He looks exactly like you mate."

"He's not going to have changed in an hour, is he?" James replies, gently passing his son to Sirius.

"I was hoping he might if I'm honest. Now I'm going to have to put up with two ugly mugs for the rest of my life."

"Excuse me, but he has _my eyes _and he has _not _got an _ugly mug_." Lily cuffs Sirius over the head indignantly, a spark of laughter evident in her eyes.

"Just because you fancy the bloke." Sirius straightens up, not taking his eyes off the bundle in his arms.

"She's married to me Padfoot, of course she fancies me."

"I was talking about Harry, you prats."

"We know." They say in unison and the redhead rolls her eyes. Whilst Sirius continues to study his best friend's child, Lily and James exchange another glance but it isn't until James clears his throat that Sirius looks up.

"Sirius, pass me Harry." Lily holds out her position from on the bed and he hands her son to her, smiling as Harry gurgles in his sleep. He never thought he'd fall in love with anyone beside his mates but as soon as he saw Harry, that theory was not only killed but burnt, ripped up, shredded and beaten to a pulp. "We have something to tell you."

"_Ask _you." James intercedes but Lily continues, ignoring him.

"You've been James' best friend since first year. His brother. You've been my best friend since seventh year... something I never thought would happen." Lily smiles gently, looking away from Sirius to James for a second. "We can trust you with our lives."

"Well." Lily quells James with a look.

"Shut up, I rehearsed this. Don't make me muck it up. We can trust you with our lives. You _are_ a prat but you've always been there for James and you've always been there for me. There's no way we're ever going to be able to thank you enough for all you've done for us but to show that we love you, we wanted to do something. I can't think of anyone better for the job and, well, if you want to... James and I want you to be Harry's godfather." The Potters look at their friend, both smiling - one more cautiously than the other - and it's only when Sirius has done nothing but stare at James in shock for two minutes that any of them speak.

"Padfoot, mate, you alright?" Sirius looks back at Lily as James speaks, eyebrows half way up his forehead. "You look a bit pale."

"Yeah..." He manages and Lily laughs softly, shaking her head.

"Sirius, you've just got to say yes or no."

"Are you sure? Me? I mean... I'm Sirius Black. Marauder. Prat. Git. Prig. Dolt. A Black. One of the highest detention records Hogwarts has ever seen. A _muggle_ criminal record - sort of. You've hated me since first year! I'm irresponsible, lazy, I've never changed a nappy in my life, I'm ignorant, foolish... arrogant... I'm short tempered and brattish and what about Remus? Surely? He's the responsible one. He's the one you want to look after your son. Peter, even! He's great with kids.. well, no he's not but he's not _me! _I'm Sirius _Black _I'm not good with ba-"

"Shut up before I hex you." Lily interrupts Sirius mid-flow and he can't understand why neither of them are nodding in agreement with his speech and cursing him to hell and phoning Remus to ask _him _if he wants to be godfather.

"It's great that you've finally realized you're a sod-"

"James."

"but that doesn't mean we don't love you. Besides! Lily married _me. _James Potter. Marauder. 'Arrogant bullying toe-rag.' It's not like you being godfather to _our _child is far fetched. And Remus and Peter would be great godparents but they're already here all the time, and so are you, but we wanted something... _solid _to say 'this is Sirius Black, we're going to love him for all eternity.' We already became bloo-"

"_James._"

"Sorry. We already became animals for Moony and Peter hasn't needed reassuring since third year. But you're a drama queen and you're never gonna believe that we love you until there's actually a legit thing saying 'yup, Sirius Black, groovy guy.'"James finishes his rant and Lily's eyes flick between the two black haired boys she never thought she would love and when she spots the tears in Sirius' eyes she knows that they've made the right choice.

"Merlin, you should become a poet." Sirius says hoarsely and then they're both grinning.

"Are you crying?" James sounds incredulous.

"Nah, got a bit of floo powder in my eye, is all." Neither James or Lily believe him but they don't saying anything.

"So, is that a yes?" Lily asks, gently pushing the question back into the conversation.

"Fu-" Sirius looks at Harry. "Definitely yes."

James steps forwards and the two men grip each other tightly, breaking away only when Harry gurgles, opening his eyes and looking up at the three people staring at him.

"Hiya Harry." Sirius steps away from James and tickles the boy under his chin, blinking furiously when Harry giggles and waves his fists. Over his shoulder James is watching his best friend hold back tears of happiness and he doesn't know who he loves more. His wife, his son or his mate. "I'm your godfather." Sirius grins. "If your mum and dad ever kick the bucket, I'm the one who's going to have to put up with you."

"Oi!"


	11. Proven Wrong

Prompt: Disabled!James Potter tries out for the Quidditch team and proves everyone wrong

* * *

James slows his breathing, opening his eyes and looking up at Sirius.

"You sure about this mate?"

"Definitely." Sirius hesitates for a second and then nods, both nervous and excited. "Let's do this." James smiles reassuringly and grabs the arms of his chair. "One..." He counts to three as Sirius steadies the broomstick and on three the black haired boy swings himself forward, just managing to stay upright due to Peter and Sirius grabbing his arms. He's on. He's actually sitting on a broomstick, for the first time in three years.

It had started at the end of fifth year when Sirius had become so pissed off at his friend's inability to fly, he had decided to design a broomstick that allowed James to do the impossible. Of course he hadn't taken into account the fact that his knowledge on designing and constructing a broomstick was only slightly less limited than his knowledge on actually making a broom fly. But he was Sirius Black and he would snog Bellatrix before giving up on this. Up until christmas of sixth year he had tried - and failed - to build a broomstick. It had resulted in eighteen detentions, six trips to Madame Pomfrey, four personal visits to Dumbledore and a ban from going into Hogsmeade that lasted for two terms. When he had realized that he was never going to be able to make a broomstick that flew from scratch, Sirius started on adapting a broomstick. Maybe it had taken him the majority of a year but he had finally finished it; a broomstick that James could actually ride. And now here they are.

"You alright?" Peter asks. James just nods, shutting his eyes and then grinning. It feels different but it's still the same. Sirius had attached a seat to the broomstick which would support his back and there were these supports that meant his legs wouldn't unbalance him. He hovers a few feet above the ground, his head above Sirius' and Peter's for the first time in three years, a grin plastered on his face.

"Never felt better Pete." Sirius laughs, banging on the changing room door and then shaking his head in disbelief as he looks back at James on a broomstick. Peter grins, snatching up the quaffle that was resting on one of the benches.

"Ready?" Remus' voice came from outside in response to Sirius' knocks.

"Open them up." Remus complies, unlocking the doors and opening them. A grin forms slowly as he watches James hovering.

"You did it Padfoot." Remus laughs. "You fucking did it." The three boys slap hands and it is only when Sirius pauses that they realize James is no longer in the changing rooms. They come to a stop outside the doors as they spot James at the other end of the pitch, soaring back towards them and gaining height. "So much for easing him back into it."

"Shut up Moony. Look at him." James lets out a whoop as he circles twenty feet above their heads, looking down the length of the pitch before leaning forward and racing towards the goal posts. The wind whips through his hair and his fingers are numb and his eyes water and his back aches but he's flying… after three years of not even being able to walk he is soaring and flying and he has never felt happier in his life. Three minutes later and he's a crumpled heap on the ground.

The Marauders spend the whole weekend on the pitch, avoiding their other friends, sneaking out of their dorm at four am so that James can practice and coming back in past midnight. They don't do their homework, they miss meals and on Monday they come down to the Great Hall with shadows under their eyes. Sirius had wanted to practice all through Monday until the tryouts but Remus had reasoned with him; if they missed all of their lessons on Monday then someone would definitely investigate and then the whole plan would be botched. James hadn't minded because it would give him a chance to see Lily. Lily had hardly seen James all weekend and when he parked himself next to her in the Great Hall, she promptly turned to Marlene.

"Aw, Lily, come on." James groans, ignoring Sirius' smirk as the other Marauders sit down next to and across from him. "I've been doing homework."

"No you haven't, you liar. I know what you've been doing and it certainly isn't the Transfiguration essay McGonagall set for you!" The redhead spins round to face him, frustration clear on her face. "Look, James," she lowers her face to a firm whisper, "I know you want to fly and I want you to too but not like this. You could hurt yourself, even more. You should do it with supervision and," she shoots a glare at Sirius, "a _proper _broom. One specially adapted."

"It is specially adapted!" Sirius is indignant but Lily silences him with another look. James sighs, looking up at the top table before replying.

"I know I could get hurt but if I don't do it like this I'm never going to be able to. No one's going to be bothered about letting a disable wizard fly when there's a war going on. McGonagall says she's working on it but she's said the exact same thing for the past three years!" James pauses, whispering so only his girlfriend can hear. "Lily, I've got to fly again and I have. This whole weekend and look! I'm not hurt one bit!" The black-haired boy holds out his arms for her inspection and only then remembers the bruises.

"Yeah, totally uninjured." Lily scowls.

"Evans they're nothing, alright. He's flown really well. Only one proper fall and that was at the very start. He's better than half the Gryffindor team. He was beating me up there." Sirius leans forward, eyes darting up and down the table as he speaks.

"Lily, maybe they're right…" Marlene interjects and then holds up her hands in surrender when Lily turns her glare on her. "I'm just saying, he was always good at Quidditch and as long as the broom is safe then, well, I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

"It doesn't break any rules." Remus offers.

"James can either do it safely, with us, or on a normal broom without us." Peter rationalises. Lily climbs over the bench, placing her palms flat on the table.

"I am not going to have any involvement in this. I am not going to watch. And if my boyfriend is killed on your ridiculous broomstick, I'll castrate all four of you bloody Marauders."

"Castrating a corpse is a bit immoral don't you think?" Sirius shouts after her as Lily picks up her bag and storms out of the Great Hall.

Despite her words, at five o'clock on that Monday evening, Lily is sitting in the stands with Mary, Dorcas and Marlene. Apparently word has travelled that something is going to happen at the Gryffindor Quidditch team tryouts because half the school has turned up to watch. For the Marauders this poses no problem; as long as they get James into the air before a teacher sees him, then they're plan will have succeeded. For Lily this does pose a problem; if James makes a mistake everyone will see and it will be harder to help him. For the captain of the Gryffindor team, and his two remaining teammates, this is a hinderance but not exactly a problem; it'll be harder to focus and see the try outs' proper potential with people catcalling but as long as no one comes onto the pitch, they don't mind.

"Right, everyone, shut up!" The captain, a sixth year called Karlin Bones, shouts. "Obviously you know the basics otherwise you wouldn't be here. Seven players, three chasers, one keeper, two beaters and a seeker. We have a chaser, - that's me - a seeker, - that's Shacklebolt - and a beater, - that's Black." Bones pauses because Sirius Black hasn't actually turned up yet and he was meant to be there half an hour ago. "If you're a first year then it's unlikely you'll make the team so sod off. Right, we'll start with… keepers." It takes a while but soon they've finished with keepers and (thanks to Sirius' absence) Bones decides to move onto chasers.

"Lily, he'll be fine."

"Don't hyperventilate. He's a Marauder, not a first year."

"Have you seen these players? Potter would thrash him without the broom." Her friends' words fall on deaf ears because all Lily can do is stare at the changing rooms, waiting for James to make an appearance.

"Anymore tryouts for chasers?" Bones shouts, not expecting a reply. By this time the whole school has come to watch and he's more focused on the crowd than the group leaving the changing rooms.

"Just the one!" The Gryffindor captain spins around and his eyebrows disappear behind his long fringe. "Hope you don't mind me being late, had a bit of trouble with… well, nevermind. This is James Potter, sure you know him. Debonair and all that. He's here for the tryouts." Sirius has his hands on the handles of James' wheelchair, a confident grin on his face. Remus and Peter stand either side of him, holding Sirius' broomstick and James' adapted one behind their backs.

"Um, right, Black. Can I have a word?" Bones inquires, eyes flicking between the four boys. Sirius has always been an excellent player - although he does occasionally lack good sportsmanship - but this is ridiculous.

"Can't mate, sorry. It's getting dark and to be honest it's a bit of a hassle sorting Potter here out in the dark."

"I can fly in the dark just perfectly. Getting me on the broom in the dark is a different matter." James speaks now, shooting a pointed stare at Remus to accompany his words.

Lily watches from the stands with the rest of the school, no one able to hear what his being said but everyone leaning forwards in their seats.

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"It is." Remus intones. "Trust me, just let him try out."Bones looks between them again, pitying James but not wanting to allow it. After a moment though, he sighs.

"Fine. But… only if you've got permission."

"From Minnie herself." Peter hands Bones the forged permission slip and the captain nods curtly, turning away to talk in hushed tones with Shacklebolt.

"C'mon then." Forming a protective semi-circle around James, the three able-bodied adolescents help James onto the broomstick and then Sirius slings a leg over his own model. "If you die, I want you to know getting killed by a ginger has never been something I aspired to." Remus grins, slapping James on the back.

"She's a redhead to you, Moony." James smirks. Nervousness tears through his body but all he can feel is the breeze and the broomstick. The school is silent and James avoids looking at them, knowing what they're all thinking. He's heard it said so many times before. This time is different though; he's going to prove them all wrong. Silence hangs over the pitch for a good three minutes - definitely a first - save for Bones' telling the two remaining chasers (a fifth year and James) what he wants them to do. James hovers above the ground as he listens, processing the instructions and wondering if he can do them. _Of course you bloody can _he thinks and then Bones blows his whistle and they're off.

Everyone is looking at James and no one more intently than Lily. His girlfriend watches him like a hawk and inside her stomach a million leeches are being tortured. She mutters to herself as she watches James lean forward and speed up.

"Go Potter!" Lily whips her head around and stares at Marlene whose hands are cupped around her mouth, projecting her voice. "Go Potter!" Soon the rest of the watching Gryffindors have joined in and Sirius grins to himself as he hits a lazy bludger towards the fifth year try out. James' own face is taught with concentration as Bones passes him the quaffle and he has to drop a bit to catch it. He's got it though and he speeds up, pressing towards the goal posts were a sixth year try out flicks between the three hoops. He's going to miss it… he's going to drop it… this was a stupid idea… fucking Sirius… bloody hell… James' nerves override and he's about to fumble the ball when a voice rises above all the others.

"You can do it James! Come on you toerag!" Lily. It's all he needs. The quaffle soars through the hoops and the stadium erupts. James turns, grinning and his eyes seek out the girl he loves in the crowd. She's jumping up and down and smiling, shouting words that he can't hear but it doesn't matter because he did it. James Potter, the boy in the wheelchair, proved the whole fucking school wrong.

It's only when he spots a figure storming onto the pitch that he realizes McGonagall has seen him. However, he doesn't really care… he's done it.

After a week of detentions for all four Marauders and fifty points taken away from Gryffindor - for their "immaturity, ignorance, idiocy and plain foolishness" - James has made the team. Even a few Slytherins slap his shoulder as he rolls down the corridor toward his Transfiguration lesson and James has never been more happier. Until, that is, Lily Evans appears and sits down on his lap. He jumps at the sudden weight on his chest but he can't feel her and it's a regular occurrence so he just continues to spin the wheels that propel him forwards.

"My quidditch player and his shining carriage." She greets, kissing him as she wraps an arm around his neck for safety.

"My lucky charm." He responds, still managing to keep a straight course as her lips press briefly to his own. Grinning Lily leans in, whispering into his ear.

"You proved them all wrong and I am so bloody proud."

The first match of the season comes and Gryffindor win. At the end of the year they have the Quidditch Cup and James doesn't need his chair as he is held high on the shoulders of his housemates, his broomstick clutched in one hand, the other raised in victory.


	12. Forgotten Love

Prompt: Lily has a bad fall and gets amnesia. She forgets that she loves him and have started dating & Lily loses her memory

* * *

Madame Pomfrey sighs as she looks out of her office window to the bed currently occupied Lily Evans. It had been occupied for three days by the seventh year and in those three days what feels like half the school have come to visit her. It's common knowledge that Lily Evans is well liked by the majority of the school but it had never crossed the matron's mind just how much those people respected her.

Most visits had only lasted about five minutes before either the visitor realized the Head Girl wasn't going to wake up, Madame Pomfrey hustled them out or James Potter scared them off. As she looks at the bespectacled boy, the matron feels she should reevaluate her thought: the bed had been occupied for three days by Lily Evans and James Potter. Whilst Poppy didn't appreciate her small hospital being occupied by someone who wasn't injured, all of her arguments had been shot down by the Head Boy. James could be extremely persistent and determined whenever he needed to be.

At night she knew he climbed under the covers and held the redhead close but she hadn't said anything about that to anyone. She knew James didn't know she knew about that and she didn't have it in her to tell him that he could stay but not in the same bed. Right at this moment though it wasn't just James surrounding Lily's hospital bed. It seemed all of the Gryffindor seventh year had already developed a routine, for they appeared promptly when their last lesson was over and only left when Professor McGonagall came to check on Lily every night.

Caradoc, Peter and Marlene had arrived first today with Remus, Dorcas, Mary and Emmeline following five minutes later. Sirius had come in last, carrying dinner for them all in a sort-of picnic basket.

"C'mon, Prongs, have some food." Remus presses, holding out a sandwich towards his friend. James shakes his head, looking down at Lily to make sure her eyes are still closed.

"You don't need to lose any weight. You won't need the invisibility cloak anymore, if you do." Sirius speaks around a mouthful of food and props his feet up on the end of the hospital bed. Peter guffaws and shakes his head, taking a sip of the pumpkin juice Sirius had somehow managed not to spill while carrying it up from the kitchens.

"I ate at lunch!" James says, indignant. "I'm just not hungry yet. It's only five thirty."

"I'm always hungry."

"We know, Sirius." Smirks Marlene, pushing his feet off her lap and then giving up when the black-haired boy promptly places them back again - for the fourth time. The group falls silent as they all continue to eat, Dorcas not even paying attention to the conversation. She's sprawled on the floor next to Caradoc and Peter, trying to complete her History of Magic essay, due tomorrow. The only noise is them eating and her quill scratching across the parchment.

"You should really try to be less messy, Mary dear." Remus comments. "Pomfrey's only letting us stay for this long because Lily isn't awake, we don't want to give her a reason to kick us all out." He brushes Mary's crumbs off of his robes and the brunette rolls her eyes at him.

"Shove off Lupin."

"Shut up, will you. I'm trying to read." Emmeline Vance leans against the next bed over, looking up at the two people who inhabit it.

"Aw, c'mon Vance, join in the conversation." Mary looks over the edge of the bed and pokes the book away from Emmeline's eyes. Conversations break out like this every so often for another half an hour before something happens that shuts them all up.

"Dogs are way better than deer!" Sirius sits forward in his chair, hands planted firmly on his knees.

"They're not. Deers are way cuter." Marlene responds calmly.

"As if. Dogs are gorgeous. And they actually interact with humans, instead of running away." Mary chimes in.

"Dogs interacting with humans isn't always a good thing." Peter adds, earning himself a nudge in the ribs from Sirius. Only the Marauders get the joke and the girls take it as part of the bickering.

"Exactly; dogs bite and they have rabies and -"

"Emmeline, not all dogs have rabies." Mary reasons.

"I think I prefer deer." James says slyly, winking at Sirius. "They're gorgeous, aren't they Marls?"

"Thank you!" Marlene glares at Sirius, not understanding the inside joke all the boys seem to be in on. "Deers are wonderful. Gorgeous and graceful and _so _pretty."

"I beg to differ." Laughs Remus and James throws a grape at him.

"Can you be quiet, please? I'm trying to sleep." Every head snaps towards the voice as it sounds, everyone freezing.

"Evans?"

"Lily!"

"You awake, sweetie?"

"Thank fuck."

"Finally."

"Shut up, is she actually awake?"

"Get Poppy!" They speak over each other as they all scramble round the hospital bed, Marlene slipping off and racing into Madame Pomfrey's office.

"Why do you care if I'm awake?" Lily mumbles, sleepily, not aware what's going on. She still hasn't opened her eyes yet and the redhead as no idea that she's in the hospital wing. "And why are you getting Pomfrey?"

"She's gone mad." Peter whispers to Sirius. James pulls her into his arms, hugging the still half-asleep Lily to his chest.

"Get off Dorcas or I'll hex you." She mutters, finally opening her eyes. As she does she realizes it isn't Dorcas hugging her at all. "Merlin's balls, what the fuck, Potter! Get off of me." She's still groggy from sleep and she can't push him off properly.

"Lily, love, are you alright?" James asks, worry creeping his brow. Lily's about to reply, still trying in vain to wriggle away, when Madame Pomfrey bustles over.

"Out! All of you, out!" She starts to shoo them away from the bed, pushing past Remus to get to her patient. "I will not have you in here right now! Return to your dorms. Right _now!_" She glares at the seventh years. "Potter, you can stay."

"We're not going!"

"Don't be stupid -"

"You can't kick us out!"

"I am kicking you out. This is my hospital. Now, leave! And tell Professor McGonagall that she's woken up please."

"What?" Lily asks. "Why am I in the hospital wing?" No one hears her though because they're all to busy protesting as Poppy walks them out of the door. Only James remains and she eventually manages to get out of his grip.

"What the fuck, Potter? Why are you hugging me?" Her eyes are blazing, the bruise on her head throbbing as the boy stares at her. "Get out of my bed!"

"What are you talking about? Lily, what's the matter?"

"I hate you, that's what I'm talking about! We aren't friends. Why are you in my bed?" Having managed to successfully shut the other Gryffindors out, the matron hurries back and catches the end of the conversation.

"Oh dear. Potter, get off the bed, please." James complies, shock and hurt riddling his features as Lily glares at him. "Lily, would you look at my please." Lily Evans turns away from James Potter - the boy who has been bullying her best friend for five years - and looks at Madame Pomfrey.

"What's going on? Why am I in here? Why is _he _in my -"

"Hush. You had a fall, hit your head very hard. I've healed you but you needed to have a sleep so I gave you a potion, you've been in an induced coma for three days. You're fine." The nurse takes Lily's wrist and checks her pulse rate. It's faster than normal but given her shock that's expected. "Can you tell me your name please, dear?"

"Um, Lily Evans." Why is she asking what her name is? Of course she knows what her own name is.

"And how old are you?"

"Fifteen!" James freezes.

"Ah. Now, that's not meant to happen." Madame Pomfrey frowns and then scurries to her office, reappearing a moment later with a potion in her hand. "Miss Evans I need you to listen carefully."

"I'm your boyfriend, Lily!" She wasn't aware that in the few seconds she had gone, James had been able to start a heated discussion.

"No you're not! You're a bullying, ignorant, _awful _person. I would never go out with you!" Lily's fumes, holding the covers with clenched fists. "I hate you!" James seems to break, face falling and legs buckling as he collapses onto the next bed over.

"What's going on?" He looks at Madame Pomfrey, completely lost.

"I'd like to know that too!"

"Drink this Miss Evans." As she's about to protest, the matron silences her. "_Now._" Lily drinks the offered potion, glaring at James as she does so. "Now, Mr Potter, I think it best you leave. Apparently Miss Evans' fall was harder than I thought. She seems to have developed amnesia." The last past is whispered, for only James to hear and she turns back to her patient before she can see James' face break again.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" James hears Lily ask as he stands up and walks to the door, pulling it open and slamming it behind him with such force that the eavesdropping seventh years stumble. They stare at James as he looks at them.

"She can't remember me."

"I think she can, Prongs, just as a gi-" A punch to the stomach from Peter silences Sirius before he can finish his sentence and he wheezes, clutching at his torso. "_Merlin_, Wormy."

"Of course she can!" Marlene rushes forwards, taking James' hand in her own. He snatches his own away and then turns on his heel and walks down the corridor, footsteps echoing around the stones.

He turns the corner and the three Marauders share a look before sprinting after him. Caradoc rubs his forehead and then looks at the girls.

"I'm going to go tell McGonagall. They'll look after James." He walks off, shaking his head, in the opposite direction and the girls turn to each other.

"Fuck."

"My thoughts exactly Mary." Dorcas sighs.

"If she can't remember James and her..." Emmeline starts. "Do you think she still thinks she's friends with Snape?"

"Double fuck." Mary groans. Marlene presses her ear back against the door and then jumps back as it opens.

"Miss McKinnon!" Madame Pomfrey sounds scandalized and seems even more so when Lily knocks into her shoulder. The redhead had heard her friend's name and had jumped out of bed, feeling fully able to walk. Rushing past the matron her shoulder knocked into the woman but she didn't apologize, crushing Marlene in her arms.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" She asks, her face buried in her friend's shoulder. "Daft bat won't tell me anything."

"Miss _Evans_!" Poppy has never been insulted by the girl before and her eyebrows raise in shock.

"She's confused." Mary immediately tries to soothe her as Marlene disentangles herself from her best friend and holds her at arms length. "I think she's just confused."

"Right. Well, she has to come back in straight away!" It takes a few minutes but soon Lily is back in her hospital bed, her friends sitting around her bed as Pomfrey works in her office, looking through her potions and books for exactly the right potion of spell.

"You're telling me, I, _Lily Evans, _am going out with _James Potter?_" Lily frowns, aghast. "No way. He's an arse."

"He's really not, Lils." Emmeline smiles gently.

"You are. Please believe us."

"No." Whilst Lily remains adamant that she hates James Potter - which is something that wasn't even true when she really was fifteen, the subject of the girls' debate is pacing, pulling at his hair.

"She'll remember!" Remus says, still catching his breath slightly. "How could she not?"

"She loves you, James."

"We never even said that! I don't know if she does!" He throws at his friends, turning for another walk down the corridor he had finally stopped in.

"Of course she does you berk." Sirius sighs from his position on the floor, leaning against the wall with his legs stretched out.

"How do you know?" James spins to Sirius, wand suddenly out and pointing at his best friend in his shock, sadness and anger. "How do you know! We've never said it! She just said she hated me... she did until the incident!" Scrambling to his feet, Sirius pulls his own wand out.

"Everyone knows she loves you, you absolute twat!" Their wands point at each others hearts. "The way she looks at you is a massive giveaway for starters. Secondly, she agree to go out with you! After five years of you being an absolute _git_. She's always talking about you too! When you're not there it's "James this and James that" and fucking _hell_, James, she loves you."

"Then why did she say she hated me!" James shouts back, breathing heavily and prodding his wand into Sirius' chest.

"Because she just lost her memory! You said so yourself." James' wands singes a whole through his robes and Remus and Peter take a step forward, ready to intervene. "James, she's forgotten and she'll remember and feel like a right prat and she _loves you_! I'm your best mate, I know this stuff." James sags, letting his wand arm fall and then sinking down to the floor. His three friends look at each other, agreeing silently that this is something they'll never tell anyone about.

In the hospital wing her friends have finally summarized everything for Lily and she sits in shock.

"I can't believe it. I've _snogged _James Potter.

"Yes, everyone's infinitely jealous." Dorcas rolls her eyes.

"But... I hate him." Lily looks between her four friends.

"You really don't." Marlene smirks just as Mary says "Actually, we're all certain you love him."

"Right, girls, please could you leave for a few minutes." Madame Pomfrey appears again and the girls unwillingly leave, looking over their shoulders at their friend as they do. Lily watches them as they leave, still in a state of shock. _I'm going out with James Potter. _The thought is swirling and tumbling and crashing through her head, wrapping around and suffocating her brain. "Lily, could you please drink this?"

Accepting the small vial grudgingly, Lily tips her head back and downs the green liquid in one go. "It's going to make you sleep for a while and it will return your memories to you, as well. You might be a little disorientated when you wake up but you'll be okay." Lily nods and slumps back against the pillow, only seeing her red hair on white sheets as her eyes slip shut.

The next day James is sat in the Great Hall at dinner, using his fork to push his untouched food around his plate. Remus sits next to him, nudging him with his shoulder every so often when one of the others speaks to him. Sirius and Peter try to talk to him but he just grunts occasionally. Further down the table the seventh year girls have their heads bent together, casting glances at the Marauders every so often.

Given Hogwarts reputation for rumours travelling faster than a hex, everyone knows vaguely what's happened and the theories get more and more absurd the more you hear. Every time James hears Lily's name mentioned by someone walking past him, or someone shouting down to their friend, or friends further down the table he visibly flinches and it isn't hard to see James Potter is broken.

When everyone turns to look at the Great Hall doors he doesn't and it's only when he hears the whispers that he looks up. Standing in the middle of the doorway, eyes searching the Gryffindor table, is Lily. She spots James and a grin blossoms on her lips and he realizes that she's remembered. _Good ol' Pomfrey. Bloody fantastic Poppy._ He thinks as he stands up, climbing over the bench and grinning himself. The knife of her words stops twisting inside of him and as she starts to run towards him he also realizes that Sirius is right; she does love him.

She spots him a second after he spots her and she grins, all the memories of sixth and seventh year flooding back like they had an hour earlier when she woke up. James stands and she starts running, wanting to make up for her words when she didn't know that she loved him and, Merlin, she hasn't just snogged James Potter; she's gone and fallen in love with him. And then she's in his arms and the Great Hall erupts in his cheers as the couple embraces.

Their lips crash together and her hands are on his shoulders and his are in her hair and it doesn't matter that Madame Pomfrey has just caught up with Lily and is fuming in the doorway and that McGonagall is walking towards them from the teacher's table and that everyone can see them because she is Lily and she remembers and he is James and he never forgot and she loves him and he loves her.


	13. Those Aren't Fireworks

Prompt: Severus gets back at James by playing a prank on him and everyone laughs until they realise he used dark magic

* * *

Severus Snape is not someone who usually involves himself in pranks. In fact he is usually the one on the receiving end of pranks. But with the first Quidditch match of the season, his first prank also arrives.

James Potter is always involving himself in pranks. In fact he's usually the one doing the pranks in the first place. But with the first Quidditch match of the season, he finds himself on the receiving end of one.

"Meadowes has the ball, ooh! Just dodged a bludger from Diggory. A-aand, Potter has the ball! He's almost at the posts -" James' blocks out the commentary in the background as he speeds towards the goal. He's shooting towards the centre post and the Hufflepuff keeper is planted in front of it. At the last possible second James swerves right and the quaffle soars through the unguarded goal. The crowd erupts in cheers and James raises a fist into the air. It's the first goal of the match and Hufflepuff's beaters have improved so much that it's taken Gryffindor fifteen minutes to get a goal in.

"And Gryffindor scores! That's ten, nil folks with Gryffindor in the lead thanks to a spectacular trick from Captain James Potter! And now Bones has the ball -" Snape slips his wand into his hand, aiming it discreetly at the streak of gold and red that is James Potter. He builds up his courage for a second and all it takes is remembering Lily kissing him good luck before the game for him to cast the spell. The crowd around him is a sea of green and silver and they all scream in fright as the flames roar past them. Snape is sat at the front of the stands though, next to Avery and Mulciber, and so it doesn't burn anyone. Then people are laughing, no idea that the five arrows of flame are cursed.

"We have a commotion by the Slytherin stands... Brilliant! Someone's shooting fireworks. Oh, the team's have noticed... looks like the fireworks are headed at Potter. Wow, these are good. Can't be Filibusters, must be a new brand. And this distraction means Gryffindor has lost the quaffle -" James swears as he sees Fenwick drop the quaffle and Macmillan catch it. His eyes are trained on the quaffle and he hasn't even glanced at the fireworks that has everyone cheering. Until he realises that they seem to have a very specific path... he jerks himself upward as an orange snake snaps at him. At that moment it dawns on him; those aren't fireworks, it's Fiendfyre.

"Seems Potter's got a problem with the fireworks... they won't get off his tail. Hufflepuff are taking full advantage, - Bones has the quaffle, Vance hits a bludger at him and... Hufflepuff score!" Severus Snape smiles as the flames twist through the air and snatch at Potter's broom. If he was on foot he would have already been incinerated. Avery had said they should do it whilst he was walking from class but there was a chance there would have been pureblood casualties with that and Snape was certain that Dumbeldore wouldn't allow Snape to continue at Hogwarts if James was actually killed. Which was why he had cast the curse now. He lets out a laugh as Mulciber slaps him on the back in congratulations. Potter is having real trouble now and Snape hasn't felt this pleased in ages.

"These fireworks are fantastic! Sorry Professor M, but you have to admit they're great. Ouch! Almost missed that - a bludger to the shoulder for Bones, well aimed Chang, and Gryffindor has the ball again! Potter can't get rid of the fireworks, Meadowes and Fenwick are carrying the team... and was that? No! Hooch has blown the whistle!" James can feel the heat at his feet and he has to loop twice to get ahead of the five snakes that stretch and spin and snap. He hardly hears the whistle over the sound of the crackling flames and he has no idea how no one has noticed that the fireworks are actually flames. It's as he's thinking this that he feels a flame engulf his foot and he screams, speeding and only just getting away. Laughter comes from the stands and he starts to dive, trying to get the flames off his tail but they won't budge. The two teams are standing on the pitch, looking up at him but if he lands he knows he'll be turned to ash.

"Everyone's landed except for Potter... time out called by Hooch. These fireworks are very hot... and attached. Didn't know anyone but Evans could be that in love with Potter. Actually, I don't think those are fireworks at all..." People seem to be realizing that this isn't just a harmless prank anymore and the laughter and wolf-whistles start to quieten. Snape nudges Avery and Mulciber and they dissolve into the mass of Slytherins, moving until they are no longer at the front and hidden by a large banner that supports Slytherin, who aren't even playing.

"Someone's got to help Potter! Those aren't fireworks and he can't get rid of them... he dives... he's gonna hit the floor - and he's up. Lost them for a second, mate!" James swears as he pulls up from the dive, shooting straight for the other end of the pitch. Then he decides to do something that could get him killed. Shakily fumbling for his wand he turns and screams '_Partis Temporous_!' The spell creates a gap through the Fiendfyre and James flies through it, aiming for the Headmaster's seat. The flames have lost him for a moment but he knows he only has a slight head start.

"It's Fiendfyre! Merlin... he's gonna get killed! Someone help him for Godric's sake! Professor!" Snape watches with a sly smile on his face, glad that his prank has caused such havoc. His wand is back in his pocket- he had no intentions of even attempting to control the flames from the start - and around him everyone is screaming and scrambling to get away from the pitch. The air is hot and he feels sweat form in his hairline but he just wipes it away, not joining the rush of people leaving; he wants to watch.

The commentator has stopped and James feels as if his heart is about to as well. He flies past Dumbledore and he hopes the old man knows a spell or _something _because otherwise he will be ash. He can hear screaming and he is sure that his own yell must be mingling with the others because the heat is unbearable and all he can see is red and yellow and orange and it isn't his Quidditch robes.

Snape grins as he sees Potter slip from his broom, clearly unconscious, and doesn't wait around to see if he hits the ground or is eaten up by the flames. Most of the stands are empty now and he doesn't want to look too suspicious by waiting around until the end.

A week later and the only people laughing about the incident are the Slytherins and even they are getting tired of it. No one knows who cast the curse exactly - though the teachers are working their way through the school - but the flames were obviously cast from the Slytherin stands and all the other houses have taken it upon themselves to hex and jinx any Slytherin they see.

Everywhere he goes, James is granted an escort by his fellow Gryffindor's but it isn't as if he needs it. He had recovered from his burns after three days and the fact that he had been the victim of the curse was the only reason the teachers had been avoiding giving him detentions for all the hexes he sends towards Mulciber, Avery, Snape and Regulus Black. Even Lily Evans hasn't left her wand in her robes; she knew it had been Snape and the hate she felt towards him had only intensified with the Fiendfyre. Her hex had landed him in the hospital wing over night and she hasn't left James' side since the Quidditch game. A few days after her hex at Snape she's lying in James' arms in his dorm, feet entangled and head on his chest.

"Were you scared?" She whispers, bringing it up directly for the first time since he had been admitted to the hospital wing.

"More than I've ever been before." He whispers back. "But it was dark magic, I know what's it like now. I got out of it. I survived."

"Thank Merlin." She interrupts, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"If I can survive it at school, we can survive it outside." Lily smiles at his words and then corrects him;

"We _will _survive it outside."


	14. Rings and Wars

Prompt: james and lily tell her parents they're engaged and about the war

* * *

They're nineteen years old and already engaged and fighting in a war but James is pretty certain that he's never been more nervous or frightened as he stands on the Evans' doorstep. Next to him Lily looks more reserved but her eyes keep flicking to him and he knows she's just as wary as he is.

"We can't stand here all day." He says softly, squeezing her hand.

"I know... They'll be fine with the ring, it's just the war..." Lily shrugs and then smiles at her fiance before ringing the doorbell. Her keys to the door are in her pocket but it feels better to ring the bell. After a few moments she hears footsteps and then the door opens to reveal her mother, holding a butter knife. James tenses when he sees the glint but when her realizes it's just a blunt, flimsy thing he laughs at himself.

"Lily! Oh, and James! How wonderful! We weren't expecting you, come on, come in, oh how are you sweetie?" Lily is engulfed in hugs and then it is James' turn as well and he rolls is eyes at the redhead over her mother's shoulder when he sees her smirking at him. "How are you James, how's your mother? She sent me a letter last week, I didn't know she knew how the muggle post service worked. Don't stand in the doorway, come on, let me shut it, that's it, through you go, let me get your father, he's in the shed, _again_." Lily and James can't get a word in - not even to answer her questions - and Mrs Evans walks off to the garden, leaving the couple alone in the hall.

They look at each other in slight shock for a second and then burst into laughter. Lily is used to her mother but she hasn't seen her quite this excited in a while.

"I told you I send all the ladies crazy." James grins and Lily hits him upside the head, taking his hand and leading him to the kitchen. He's been to her house before - more than her parent's are aware of - and as he looks around he notices that nothing is changed. There are a few new photos of Petunia and her awful husband and in the kitchen there's a new shelf above the sink but that's it.

"Nothing changes." Lily notes herself. "It's good to be back." She turns the kettle on and fiddles with the silver band on her finger.

"Do you prefer it to Hogwarts?"

"As if." Lily laughs, getting four mugs from the cupboard and throwing in the tea bags. "It's just nice to know its still here and they're still okay and it hasn't actually affected them." James nods, understanding what she means. He feels the same about his parents but he supposes their pureblood status - blood traitor or not - protects them more than Lily's family. They fall silent as they wait for Mr and Mrs Evans to come in from the garden and Lily pours the water.

"Lily!" James shoots up as Mr Evans' calls from the hall and Lily flies past him, rushing into her father's arms. She hugs her father and smiles up at his six foot three frame, eyes searching for new grey hairs and creases on his face. There are many. "Is James here too?"

"Yes, he's in the kitchen."

"Good, good lad that one."

"I know." She says it under her breath as she follows her parents into the kitchen, watching as James holds out his hand for Mr Potter to shake.

"How are you, James?" Lily busies herself with finishing off the tea whilst her mum seats continues to butter the sandwiches she had been making before.

"Never been better, sir, yourself?" Mrs Evans rolls her eyes at James' words, not allowing the boy to see, aware that Mr Evans enjoys being called 'sir' far too much.

"I'm good, thank you. So - what brings you two here?" The two men sit down and Lily joins them a second later, giving them their teas and sitting next to James.

"Well, seeing as I'm you daughter I thought I might say hello."

"I see you haven't changed much." Mr Potter ruffles his daughter's hair and then his eyes snap sharply to wear her hands cup her mug. "Lily..."

Spotting where her dad's eyes are focused Lily bites her lip. James straightens his back and clears his throat.

"Mum, Dad, we've got something to tell you." At her daughter's tone, Mrs Evans spins around, butter knife still in hand. Beneath the table James grabs Lily's other hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles in reassurance. They had decided beforehand that Lily should be the one to actually say it, in case the news didn't go down entirely well.

"What?" Mrs Evans demands.

"James..." Lily takes a deep breath and then looks her dad directly in the eye. "James and I are engaged." The kitchen is silent and Lily has never heard her parents so quiet.

"When?" Mr Evans asks at the same time Mrs Evans claps her hands together, and says,

"Wonderful!"

"A week before school finished." Admits Lily, gripping James hands tightly.

"This is fantastic, Lily I'm so happy." Mrs Evans scoops her daughter up in a hug, pressing kisses into her hair and whispering, "Well done, he's gorgeous, he's charming and I am so, so, so happy for you. I love you."

"Well..." James is watching Mr Evans, meeting his eye straight but wishing he didn't have to look at the green, which was identical to Lily's, as Mr Evans came to a decision. "Lily, you made a good choice." Mr Evans smiles at his daughter and the redhead lets out a squeal of delight; she has her parents' blessing.

What Lily doesn't know is that Mr Evans already knew that his daughter would soon be engaged; the weekend before he proposed James received permission from Dumbledore to visit the Evans house and there he had asked if Mr Evans was alright with James proposing to his daughter. Mr Evans had kept it a secret from his wife because otherwise Lily would have known within the hour. Mr Evans remembered James words: "I love her and I want to marry her and live with her for the rest of my life. I love your daughter and I know it's important to her that you and her mum are alright with it, so I'm asking. It's also the right thing to do. I really want your blessing because I don't think it's possible for anyone else - excepting yourselves of course - to love her more than I do but... even if you say no, I'm going to ask her anyway."

Lily turns to James and plants a kiss on his cheek, holding out her hand for her mum and dad to see the ring.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it."

"Lily, the other thing, remember." James interrupts her and regrets it when he feels her tense up beside him. They have to tell her parents though. There's no way to get away from that responsibility.

"What? What other thing?" Lily slips back into her chair and takes a sip of her tea, which has now gone cold. "What is it?" Her mum continues to ask, sitting down next to her husband and staring at the young couple opposite.

"There's another thing we have to tell you." Lily starts. James knows she won't be able to get it out she he takes over for her, once again taking up her hand beneath the table.

"In the wizarding world not everyone believes that muggleborns - people with non-magical parents - should be allowed to have wands. They don't even think they're proper wizards, they think that they stole magic which is a load of bo-"

"_James_." Lily warns.

"Right. Yeah, which isn't true. Someone - a dark wizard - has come to power who believes that only those who are pureblooded should be allowed to have magic and that all muggles and muggle-borns should be under their control. There's a war going on. Has been for years but now it's escalating and expanding. More people are joining His army and it's getting worse. There's a group of people who are opposing this regime, trying to stop the infiltration of the Ministry, trying to stop the deaths and other... happenings that this bloke is causing. It's a resistance group and we want to join it."

"Actually we already have." Lily interrupts. "Mum. Dad, there's a war going on and we're fighting in it." _So much for breaking it to them slowly, _James thinks, carefully watching her parents for their reaction. The mood in the room has changed, like a flame extinguishing.

Her parents stare in shock at her and then her dad turns angry. It takes a while to calm him down and when they do she and James try to explain it as best they can, leaving out the more graphic details and making it seem better than it actually is. When they eventually leave in the evening, Mr Evans asks James to have a word with him. After sending Lily a reassuring smile, the black haired boy follows him.

"James..." they stand in the Evans' sitting room and Mr Evans runs a hand through his greying hair. "Look after her will you? She's my daughter and I love her more than anything and if I lost her... I don't know what I'd do. I won't be here forever so, please, look after her." It is the first time James has ever seen the tall man look defeated and he nods sharply, opening his mouth to say something and then stopping as Mr Evans speaks again. "And thank you. You make her happy and I'm grateful."

"James!" His name is called from the hall and he looks at Mr Evans for one last time, holding out his hand to shake the older man's.

"Sir, I think she'll be the one looking after me."


	15. Blasted Blacks

Prompt: Lily is Sirius' younger sister

* * *

He hears the laugh as he's walking down one of the fourth floor corridors, in search of James who had run off straight after dinner and taken the map with him. It's hushed quickly and at first Sirius thinks it's just an echo carried from another corridor but then he sees one of the tapestry's twitch and it's obvious that someone's having a snog.

A smirk forms on his lips as he thinks about ambushing the unsuspecting couple, all thoughts of finding James pushed to the back of his head for now. Slowly he walks towards the tapestry, making sure his footsteps are quiet so they don't hear him coming. If they're Seventh Years they'll be annoyed but laugh with him after a while and if they're in one of the lower years embarrassing them will be hilarious.

Sirius grabs the tapestry and yanks it to one side, revealing the couple, mid kiss. And as soon as he sees them, all thoughts of finding James Potter don't just walk back, they come crashing back. He doesn't need to find him anymore because he's right in front of him. _With his sister. _The couple seem to realize they've been revealed because they break apart and look towards the tapestry, neither expecting what they find.

James lets out a half-yelp half-groan and Lily swears, profusely.

"What. The. _Fuck. _Is going on?" Sirius' wand is out and he hadn't even noticed his hand dive into his robes but it's there, pointing at the traitorous bastard who he had thought was his best friend. "I am going to _fucking kill you. _That is my _sister_!"

"Sirius, please, come on, I'm not doing any harm!" James scrambles for his own wand, pleading with his best mate and mentally cursing himself for being so stupid. He didn't know how he could help himself though; Lily Black was funny, clever, witty, sarcastic and it wasn't a problem that she was one of the best looking girls in the school. The only problem was she was his best mate's younger sister. Which was why he had refused to let their relationship become public. James didn't want to be castrated and Lily didn't enjoy arguing with a pissed off Sirius.

"Oi! I'm _right here_, Sirius. I can snog who I want!" Lily has her wand out too and the same anger in Sirius' voice is evident in hers, although the stupidity washing through her is thankfully absent. She didn't know how she could have stopped herself though: James Potter was smart, funny, witty, charming and devilishly handsome. The only problem was he was her older brother's best mate. Which was why they had decided on a secret relationship in the first place. Lily didn't want to have to put up with a sulky brother and James would rather die than lose his best friend.

"No harm?!" Sirius yells, furious. "You're snogging my younger sister! _My bloody sister. _And you!" He points his wand at Lily and tries to ignore the protective stance James suddenly adopts. "You cannot snog whoever you want. He is my best mate, he's annoying and he's in detention half the time! You can't snog him!" He cannot believe the treachery that James has committed and it had been inconceivable to him, before now, that this would ever happen.

"You're unbelievable! I'm going out with him Sirius, you can't fucking stop me."

"_What?_" If anything his sister's words only make him more angry and his eyes flash at James, wand now pressing into his best friend's robes. "My _sister_, of all fucking people." He snarls and then snaps back as a hand collides with his cheek, his neck snapping round to the side at the impact.

"Merlin's balls! You are not dad - you cannot decide who I can or can't date or snog or _shag, I _decide who I go out with." Lily's hand hurts from slapping against Sirius' high cheekbones but she doesn't let on, eyes fiery as she glares at her brother.

"No one said anything about shagging!" Interrupting the argument, James tries to recover Lily's last sentence but Sirius has already turned and stormed off.

"He'll get over it." Lily sighs, returning her wand to her pocket and tucking her blouse back into her skirt. "I suppose you'll want to wait a bit before we continue this." James runs an agitated hand through his hair and looks down at the girl he's afraid he might have fallen in love with. She smiles at him. "Don't worry, he's just a big old drama queen." Lily presses a quick peck to his lips and then steps out from the tapestry, turning to walk in the opposite direction to her brother. "All of us Blacks are." And she winks at James, not seeing how he slumps against the wall as she walks off.

He doesn't know what gets to him most; how fucking gorgeous her legs looks as she walks away, the fact that she recovered so quickly or the fact that he's now afraid to return to his dorm in case Sirius is waiting there with a blunt knife which he will use to hack off anything James may need if he wants to have children.

"Blasted Blacks." He mutters to himself, running a hand through his hair once more.


	16. Jealousy

Prompt: James and Lily have a fight about jealousy

* * *

Lily's scowl hadn't gone unnoticed by her friends yesterday and it seemed she hadn't been able to shake it off because she slammed down onto the bench next to Marlene at lunch, still wearing it. Dorcas raises her eyebrows, spooning more beans onto her plate and wondering if it is worth asking what's wrong in case Lily responds with a hex. Marlene watches warily as Lily furiously stabs a sausage and then massacres an egg. Mary concludes quickly that one of them has to broach the subject and she mentally curses the other two for not having enough balls to do it themselves.

"Lily," she starts tentatively, almost deciding against it when Lily shoots her a withering glance, "you look a bit pissed off -"

"And by a little she means a lot." Dorcas provides and Marlene kicks her shin beneath the table.

"Is it what McGonagall said about your transfiguration essay because I really don't think you need to worry about that."

"It's a Friday, what can be so bad about that?"

"You do realise no one actually _saw _Peeves dropping the water balloon on our heads, right?" Lily swallows the last of her pumpkin juice, stands up again and storms right out of the Great Hall, not looking at her friends or answering any of their attempted consolations. For the rest of the day she systematically avoids the other Gryffindor seventh years and when they return to their dorm in the evening, it is to find Lily's curtains shut firmly around her four poster.

When they wake up the next day her curtains are open and there's no sign of their friend in the Gryffindor tower at all. Down in the Great Hall they spot her hastily shoveling cereal down but before they can speak to her she has dodged past them and disappeared into the Entrance Hall.

"Something is seriously wrong."

"I'll try not to take that personally." Marlene rolls her eyes as Sirius Black slings an arm over her shoulder and steals a piece of her toast. The rest of the Marauders seat themselves around the three Gryffindor girls and help themselves to food.

"That one doesn't even make sense, Padfoot." Remus sighs, the seven year old pun annoyingly endearing.

"You seen Lily?" James speaks over his friends, directing the question at Mary. He's already in his Quidditch robes and his eyes won't stop searching the hall, even as he asks the question.

"Um..." the blonde hesitates to answer and is thankfully saved by two of James' fellow quidditch players rushing up to ask him about last minute tactis.

"For fucks sake guys, we went over this yesterday." The captain runs a hand through his hair in annoyance but he stills grabs an apple from the table and stands up. "I'll see you guys down at the pitch, got to help these two knuckleheads." Dorcas waits until the trio are out of earshot and then leans in.

"Why is he asking where Lily is?"

"Because he wants to know where she is." Sirius says unhelpfully.

"Hasn't seen her since Thursday." Peter says around his mouthful of food.

"He doesn't seem that worried." Remus looks at Mary thoughtfully for a moment and is about to answer when Sirius does it for him.

"Of course he is, he's just good at hiding it around you lot. Should of heard him this morning, wouldn't shut up about it."

"So have you seen her?" Peter prompts.

"She's pissed about something." Marlene answers vaguely and the three Marauders share a look. "Won't say what though." The next second a loud cheer rings through the hall and the group look up to see everyone leaving the Great Hall, following the Ravenclaw team, red and gold clashing with blue and bronze.

From the fifth floor window she's standing next to Lily can see the Quidditch players soaring and looping and passing but the pitch is too far away for her to be able to tell which one is James. She knows that she's probably being petty and stupid but she can't help it and her boyfriend is a stupid twit.

From his broom James can see the crowd cheering and heckling and waving their flags but there's too much red to be able to see if Lily is in the crowd. He knows she's not though and it's hard to focus on the game when your girlfriend isn't there cheering you on and she can be so silly and _oh shit they've scored. _

"You've got glasses for a reason Potter!"

"Merlin's saggy arse, I thought you were meant to be good at this sport!"

"Specky git!" He almost grins at his friends' heckling and is tempted to ask one of his beaters to aim their next bludger at the three cat calling Marauders.

In the end Gryffindor wins and the seven players are hurried back to the common room for the celebration party. James and Sirius lead the crowd, James sat on Sirius' hips as his best mate gives him a piggy back towards the school, and it's only when Marlene manages to push her way to the front and congratulate him that he remembers Lily's absence.

He can't do anything about it though because Sirius refuses to put him down until they have completed three laps of the common room at full speed and once he _is_ put down, Peter advances with firewhiskey shots and by the time he spots Lily stamping down the steps from the girl's dormitory, he's half drunk.

Lily sees him standing next to Sirius and the sixth year keeper - Darcy Vane or something stupid - and her scowl deepens further. Apparently James even feels the need to be with her at parties. It's utterly unreasonable and unjustified the amount of time he's spending with her. She's only a temporary player whilst their usual keeper is in the hospital wing but James has been studying with her and playing with her on the quidditch pitch and Lily is fed up with it. If he wants to snog Darcy Vane he should just break up with her already.

Storming up to James she plants her palms firmly on his chest and pushes him back. His balance is off-kilter and he stumbles, only being rescued when Darcy grabs his arm and steadies him. The brunette regrets it when Lily Evans glares at her scathingly.

"My lovely Lily!" James cries, not completely aware of her anger. "You weren't at the game! We won and you missed it!" He sounds indignant and Lily's anger boils.

"I don't care about the stupid match!" Sirius goes to fetch the other seventh years and when he returns with them he sees that James' eyebrows have almost disappeared into his hairline at her words.

"What? But it's _quidditch_."

"When are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"He doesn't know what you're talking about." Lily turns around to Darcy in a flash and points a finger at her.

"But I bet you do, don't you, you dirty little-"

"Lily!" Remus steps forwards and interrupts her flow. She doesn't seem to care though because she just turns straight back to James. His hazel eyes are flicking between her and Darcy - who looks extremely put out - and he seems to be coming to a conclusion.

"You're jealous." He says simply.

"I am not!" Lily shouts at him. But she is.

"Are too! That's why you've been avoiding me, isn't it?"

"Well it's not as if you've been missing me!" They've attracted a crowd now and people are starting to egg them on. "Spending all your time with your new keeper!"

"Oi!" He's drunk and that means his anger accelerates a lot faster than usual and before he's even aware of what's he's saying, James is speaking. "I'm not spending all my time with her!"

"You are too. Fucking helping her with her bloody homework when you should be doing head duties with me, always down on the -"

"She _asked _for help!"

"So that's more important than helping me is it?"

"Of course not!" They're chest to chest, yelling in each other's faces and he's still in his quidditch robes and there's mud on the side of his nose and his hair is sticking up all over the place and she's in muggle clothes and there's ink on her knuckles and her hair is caught in her mouth. "Why are you so jealous all the damn time?"

"Oh, that's _rich_, coming from you!"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"In the name of Merlin!" Lily pokes him hard in the shoulder. "You're always glaring at any boy who speaks to me. You hexed that Ravenclaw seventh year the other day and all he did was ask if he could borrow one of my quills!"

"He has a crush on you!"

"No he doesn't!"

"Of course he does!" James is red in the face and he's shouting right back into her face as she does the same. "And how can I not be jealous? You're always fucking talking to Remus and Sirius and Peter and flirting with that sixth year prefect and -"

"They're my friends you bloody hypocrite!" Lily flings a hand at the three boys and they all hold their hands up, knowing that to get involved is a death wish. "You're always with that keeper! Flirting and laughing and fucking hell why don't you just break up with me if you want to shag her that badly!"

"See, you _are _jealous!" And then he's aware of what she's said and he pauses.

"I don't get it! You're always laughing with other girls but Merlin forbid a boy talks to me because he might wake up the next day with his balls sewn to his feet!" Lily takes a short breath and continues, not noticing that her eyes are blurring with tears which haven't yet fallen. "Why do you have to spend so much time with her? She doesn't need help with her homework! She can ask someone else. Fucking hell, James, you aren't even listening."

"You are so stupid." He's speaking quietly now and the yelling has sobered him up slightly so when Lily's hand comes flying towards his cheeks he's able to catch her wrist and stop her palm colliding with his cheek. "Of course I'm fucking jealous. You're gorgeous and funny and kind and clever and how could anyone not fancy you. But you're so stupid. I don't care about anyone else. I don't want to shag Darcy bloody Vane -"

"Then why are you always with her!" Lily accuses.

"Because she's having trouble in Transfiguration and I agreed to help her and she wanted a little extra practice before the game today!" James runs a hand through his hair in frustration, lowering his voice again so only Lily can hear him now. "It's only you, Lily, it's always only been you. I get jealous because I don't want to lose you but I don't care about anyone else, it's just -" He doesn't get to finish because she's in his arms and she's kissing him and she's still angry at him but it doesn't matter because she's pretty sure he loves him - jealousy and all.

"Merlin's arse." Sirius rolls his eyes as he watches the couple snogging vigorously in front of the whole common room, handing over five galleons to Moony. "I thought it might last at least twenty minutes before they started trying to crawl into each other."

"Yes well, it was ten and therefore I win."

"Either way they're both just jealous prats." Dorcas comments as she sips from her firewhisky, smirking at Darcy Vane's retreating back as the girl climbs out of the portrait hole.

The pair can hear the crowd muttering but they don't care and as they eventually break apart all they see is each other.

"Darcy does have a nice arse though." James says, casually. Lily narrows her eyes and quickly punches him gently in the stomach.

"You are an absolute git, Potter."

"And you, my lovely Lily, are jealous."


	17. Not-So-Frosty Greetings

Prompt: Winter!Olympians jily meet on the plane and hang out at the village

* * *

The England team's plane was packed full of the Winter Olympians heading to Russia for the Winter Games but it still managed to be spacious and well, nice. It wasn't as fancy as the Summer Games plane but it still had a certain air of luxury about it. One James Potter is grateful for. Sitting next to his teammates - who are engrossed in conversation about Google's new doodle - on a five hour flight is something he's used to but not something that's particularly endearing.

"What do you think James?" He looks away from the debate two of the skiers are having eight seats in front and to his friend.

"About what?" He prompts and Sirius immediately bursts into an explanation about the Google doodle. James has already had this discussion with the boys separately and he couldn't be bothered to be repeat his thoughts for a fourth time.

"Guys, Google is protesting. It's not as if we're not doing the same thing." James gestures to the rainbow arm bands the England team has adopted for the 22nd Winter Games. "It's good."

"No one said it wasn't!" Remus intones, leaning across from his window seat. "We're just trying to think of ways they could do _more_." Peter, who's sat in the row in front of them next to two sleeping females, twists again so he can speak with more ease.

"Like hold an actual protest."

"Or we could just invade Russia." The four males turn to see who's spoken and find it's one of the women sitting next to Peter. Clearly she's only been feigning sleep.

"It's winter. Not the most advisable move, honey." Sirius smirks, straightening his back as the girl turns around so she's leaning over the back of her head rest, in the same position as Peter.

"Someone clearly knows their history." She smirks straight back, emphasizing her next word. "_Sweetie_."

"Technically this is already an invasion." James adds, hand pointing at the plane crammed full of English athletes.

"I fail to see how we can overthrow a government with snowboards and ice skates." The redhead responds dryly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'd think you'd find it surprising how much injury one can cause with a ski pole." James shoots a wink at Sirius who snorts.

"Lily, can you please shut up." James's eyes don't leave the woman's face as the others turn to see the second female speaking. _She's gorgeous, _he thinks, wondering if there's ever been anyone more beautiful. "Who are you even talking to?"

"I actually have no idea." Lily turns her gaze back towards the four boys she had started speaking to, Marlene's statement bringing her attention to the fact they haven't introduces themselves yet. As Marlene opens her eyes and turns to see who her friend has pulled into conversation, the four boys tell her who they are.

"I'm Remus Lupin."

"Peter Pettigrew." Lily smiles at the slightly plump boy sitting next to her and her eyes linger a little while on the book in Remus' lap.

"Black, Sirius Black." Marlene laughs as the one with the shoulder-length hair introduces himself as if he's James Bond and returns the favour.

"McKinnon, Marlene McKinnon."

"Pleasure's all mine."

"I'm sure it is." Lily nudges her friend in the ribs and then looks at the fourth boy.

"James Potter."

"Lily Evans."

"Pleasure to meet you." Remus smiles, noticing the look in Sirius' eye as he stares openly at Marlene.

"What are you guys doing then?" Marlene inquires as she lets out a yawn.

"You mean, you haven't heard of us?" James sounds indignant and slightly shock and the two girls can't tell if he's being serious or not.

"It's not as if you've heard of us." Lily shoots back, trying to recall if she's heard their names before.

"Sometimes we're called the Marauders." Peter offers and Remus rolls his eyes, high-fiving James all the same. Marlene snaps her fingers, nodding.

"I _have _heard of you. You're the youngest four men bobsleigh team."

James grins as Sirius quirks his eyebrow, his expression a mixture of laughter and severeness.

"The youngest _and _the fastest."

"So they say." Lily Evans laughs and James' eyes snap back to her, now trying to think if her name rings a bell. The thing is he's heard so many names of Olympians in the past two weeks that he can't pick one name out from the other.

"In the legends of our fine country." Peter says, as if telling her something that holds great importance.

"Doubt that." Marlene smirks, turning back round and slipping back under her blanket. "I'm going back to sleep, you can all continue without me."

"Oh, but how will we survive." Sirius asks but Marlene has already put her headphones in and shut her eyes.

"You're very quick to become friendly with people, aren't you." Lily arches an eyebrow at Sirius and Remus speaks across him.

"He think he's God's gift to mankind."

"_And _womenkind, mustn't forget womenkind." Sirius says matter-of-factly and Lily laughs again, finding that the company of these boys isn't one she minds. Just as she's about to reply, a voice comes over the tannoy and the plane gives out a collective groan.

"_We will be going through some turbulence soon and the seatbelt light has now come on. Please return to your seats and put your seatbelt on. Thank you." _Many people have turned to talk to their friends and teammates over their headrests and now there's a collective jumble of movement as people turn to their seats. It's still possible to talk through the gap but it just makes thing harder and so Lily says goodbye and shuts her eyes, deciding that she'll bump into them sooner or later anyway so it's not like they need to exchange details.

The next day all the Olympians are dining in the canteen and James' eyes won't stop moving. He keeps scanning the large hall, trying to find a certain redhead but it's to no avail. Eventually Peter feels the need to say something.

"Have you got something in your eye, Potter?"

"What, no?"

"Then stop moving them because you look crazed."

"He's right." Remus agrees, pouring more tea into his mug.

"You looking for the Evans girl?" James whips around to Sirius and then tries to hide his hopeful expression as Sirius laughs.

"Down boy, down." Sirius swallows his mouthful of food. "Saw her mate last night, the McKinnnon girl, I know where they're staying."

"That's creepy."

"No, it's common." Sirius corrects Remus as he hands James a slip of paper with a room number scribbled on it. "Gave me that whilst we were getting off the plane. She's obviously sharing with the Evans girl." James scrambles up and thanks Sirius.

"I'll be back soon."

"Remember we're training again tomorrow!" Peter shouts after him and James flips him the bird. When the black haired boy reaches the room on the paper, it's to find a sock over the handle. He's not exactly shocked - Peter had only crawled back into their room at three in the morning - but he is a bit annoyed. For some reason he likes Lily Evans and if she's already shacking up with somebody...

"Hey!" He looks to his right and relief floods through him. Lily Evans is walking down the corridor towards him. "Potter isn't it?" He's not entirely focusing on her words because she's wearing only running shorts and a sports bra, a towel slung over her shoulder and a bottle of water in her hands. Her hairs in a tight ponytail and damp with sweat but James has never seen anything hotter.

"Yeah, James." He finally manages and Lily smirks slightly, knowing full well why he's a bit slow in his reply.

"You lost?"

"Looking for you actually."

"Creepy."

"That's what Remus said."

"He has sense."

"Sirius disagreed."

"Well he was here last night so I doubt he views himself as creepy. More... I-have-a-lot-of-stamina."

"To be fair, he does."

"You would know, wouldn't you."

"Well, we are protesting."

"Touche, James Potter." Lily grins and tugs the sock off the door, opening it and shouting to her roommate. "Dorcas! I'm coming in in five seconds, please cover yourselves." She doesn't even give it five seconds before walking in. "You coming, or what?" James hesitates for only a moment before following her into the room.

"I thought you were sharing with Marlene?"

"And Dorcas and Alice and Mary."

"Five of you."

"Don't tell Sirius, he might get a bit too excited." Lily says dryly, dropping the towel and bottle onto the small sofa and then gesturing for James to sit. There are two doors leading off from the main room and James guesses they lead to two bedrooms because from one he can hear noises that he'd rather not be listening to at ten in the morning.

"He didn't say he came here last night."

"Well he did." Lily sits next to him and pulls her hair from its' band, running a hand through it. "He's very noisy. And 'fantastic', according to Marlene"

"Try living with him." James rolls his eyes as he thinks about Sirius' antics and then raises his eyebrows as one of the door opens and a brunette sticks her head out.

"S'not Dorcas, Lils, it's me." Lily tips her head back to look over the arm of the sofa and grins as she sees Alice.

"Say hi to Frank for me then."

"Hi Lily!" A male voice shouts from the room and Lily laughs. Then Alice spots James and she smirks. The black haired boy is trying to look anywhere but at the door, despite Alice holding a bedsheet to hide her body.

"Get back to your fiance dear." Lily warns before the girl can say anything and Alice complies with a wink.

"You girls don't wait around do you." James clears his throat.

"They're engaged, I don't see wrong with two people who are going to get married having sex."

"Haven't they just met?"

"Known each other pretty much their whole lives." Lily tells him and then stands up, having made a decision. "I've just been in the gym for two hours so let me have a shower and then I'll meet you in the games room in half an hour."

Half an hour later, Lily comes down to find James and Remus playing a game of well matched table tennis. Apparently bobsledding isn't the only thing they're good at because neither seem to be able to win one over the other. Then James spots Lily and Remus manages to get a ball past him. The boy grins - not seeming to care that he's lost - and walks over to Lily. She realizes she has made the right decision. He's very eager.

"Right, we're not here for long and to be honest I can't be bothered with shagging someone new every night. It's what Dorcas does once our event has finished and she's always complaining. So I've decided, if you're up for it, that if I feel like a shag - I can come to you." Her blunt words are whispered almost seductively into his ear as soon as he's close enough and James suddenly feels like the sock on the door is a fantastic idea. "So?" She prompts.

"I've never heard of a better proposition."

"Come on then." Lily grins.

"Now?"

"Unless you don't want a shag..."

"No, no, I do." An hour later Lily has her head resting on James' chest and she can hear his heart beating and she finds it comforting. She presses a quick kiss to his jawline and then grins.

"So it seems Sirius isn't the only one with stamina." James laughs and squeezes her arm, knowing that if her only intentions are an occasional shag he's absolutely fucked. And not just literally.


	18. Words Can Wound Too

Prompt: James is badly injured after a fight with Lily

* * *

The door slams behind him and a second later a plate smashes into the wood, shattering immediately. Lily knots her hands in her hair and lets out a strangled scream, furiously kicking the wall next to her. The pain ricochets through her foot but she just slumps to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees and choking back sobs.

The door slams behind him and a second later a plate smashes into the wood, shattering immediately. James shoves his hands in his pockets and bites his lip to stop himself from yelling. The anger rushes through his but it's fractured with hurt and all he can do is run down the steps and out into the London air.

The only sound is her shaky breaths and when she finally thinks she's pulled herself together, Lily stands up and pulls her wand from her pocket, muttering a shaky _reparo _at the plate before bending down and picking it up. She walks through to the small kitchen and drops it into the sink, resting her hands on either side and shutting her eyes. The fight shouldn't have happened, she had overreacted. She shouldn't have said that... she's fucked it all up.

The air is filled with noises of London on a Saturday night and James knows he needs to go somewhere where he can recover. He keeps his head down and pushes through the crowds shuffling along the pavement, finally reaching an entrance to the Underground and gratefully entering the muted maze of London. He ducks around a barrier when the security guard is looking the other way and within a few minutes he's boarded a train. James doesn't bother trying to find a seat and just presses his head against the cool glass, darkness flashing past as he tries to forget about the fight. He had overreacted, he hadn't needed to storm out... he's fucked it all up.

When he gets off the train it's at a station that's pretty empty but there's still people milling about and James' eyes linger on a group of hooded teenagers by the steps. He walks past them without making eye contact and doesn't look over his shoulder, knowing that's just asking to be bollocked. As he reaches the top he turns right and speeds up just slightly, not sure if they will follow him or not but wanting to be certain just in case. A few metres down he does check over his shoulder and there's no one there. Slightly relieved he returns to his fuming and walking towards Sirius' crappy flat. Usually the Black bunks with James and Lily but he liked having somewhere to crash when he couldn't make it to theirs and although it's technically his in name, the Marauders all use it as a base.

He's only a few streets down when the bespectacled boy realises he has let his guard down. The group of six boys _did _follow him and seem intent on continuing to do so. James' reaches to his waist line but his wand isn't there. It must be back at the flat. Mentally cursing his stupidity he looks over his shoulder again and breaks into a sprint, not caring now if they know he's spotted them. He's fast and if can outrun then he'll be fine. If it was just two of them and he had his wand he was sure he'd be okay but there was six of them and his wand was next to that morning's crossword.

Footsteps are catching up with him and James twists down an alley, hoping to lose them but it's to no avail. All he's done is trapped himself. The group advance as he backs up against a wall, trying to look for an escape route. They're not the biggest guys but James only has height and Quidditch muscles and the latter aren't exactly for strength. _And there's six of them you prick _he thinks, swearing.

"You look a bit lost, love." One of them leers.

"Need some help?" Another steps forward, fists clenched. James clenches his own hands and decides he may as well get it over with.

"No. Do you?"

"What have you got?" A third questions, coming even closer than the second and spitting at James' feet. James can smell alcohol and the tang of drugs as the man steps up to him.

"Nothing." And it's true. Partly. There's a few galleons in his trouser pockets but it's not as if they'll be any use to these men and he has no idea what's in his jacket. Hopefully nothing valuable.

"Search him." The second orders and James attempts to struggle as two boys smash his arms back against the brick wall and rifle through his pockets. He aims a kick at the biggest ones' balls and receive a blow to the stomach in return.

"What's this?" They've found the galleons and James is released.

"Looks like gold." The first one snatches one of the coins from the fifth and frowns. "Ain't our money."

"Where you from?"

"Scotland." James improvises, wondering if they'll believe it. A few of them seem to contemplate it but the second isn't having it.

"Oh, yeah, and what about your accent you posh twat?"

"It's called being brought up well." That remark earns him another punch to the stomach and he doubles over, straightening up as quickly as possible so as not to give them anything from it.

"Fucking prick. Is that it?" The third one asks and when it's been confirmed that James has nothing else on him the second one smirks and kicks James hard in the knee, buckling his legs.

"Seeing as you think you're better than us..." he crouches down and pushes James face into the ground. "We'll show you that you're just fucking shit on our shoes." It's impossible to protect himself as boots rain down on him, kicking into his chest and back and legs and face and _oh Merlin my balls. _When they finally leave him James is only half conscious and there's blood streaming down his face.

For a few minutes he just lies there, groaning and panting before pushing himself up slowly. His head spins and he leans on the wall for support, one arm clutching the other as he starts to stumble forwards. James walks against the wall and he's pretty sure he's only scared about six people by the time he reaches Sirius' flat. Climbing up the stairs is a feat he won't be able to achieve so he just presses his forehead against the buzzer and groans into it when Sirius answers.

"Help. It's me... James. Shit, ow. Help."

A few seconds later and Sirius has come crashing down the stairs, rushing to James and heaving him up, ignoring James' protestations that he's hurting him. In his flat he puts him on the floor and grabs the phone, immediately calling Remus and then Lily. James doesn't listen, the ceiling flashing as he stares up at it and he swears Sirius has three heads as his best mate leans over him.

Lily rushes to grab her wand as she drops the phone, not even placing it back on its' holder, and then she's spinning and the pressing darkness doesn't even matter because _James is hurt and we fought and I said I couldn't stand him and he left and_ - Remus interrupts her train of thoughts, grabbing her arms the second she apparates into Sirius' main room. She struggles against his hold for a second, eyes wildly searching the room for James. All she can see is blood pooled in a spot by the door. She lets out a sob.

"Lily. Look at me, Lily, _listen_." Remus' stern voice brings her back to earth and her eyes meet his but she's not really looking. "He's going to be okay. Some muggles beat him up, he's gonna be alright. Left his wand at home the prat. You can see him -" she lets out a sound and he tightens his grip. "If you calm down." She nods and he slackens his grip. The red head ducks out of his arms and runs to Sirius' bedroom slamming open the door and racing to where James' lies on the mattress.

Sirius tries to protest as she throws herself onto him but she's holding him so gently and carefully and James' eyes are opening so he remains silent, putting the stopper in the bottle of dittany and leaving the room.

"I'm so sorry, I can't believe I said that, I didn't want you to go, oh, James, this never should of happened, James, James, I'm so sorry, so sorry, I didn't mean what I -"

"Lils." James entwines his fingers with hers - despite one of them being broken - and tries to soothe her. "It doesn't matter. We were angry."

"I'm such an idiot. I'm so sorry, I love you James Potter, I don't ever want you to go." James wipes the tears away from his girlfriend's cheeks and smiles, cheeks aching as he does so.

"I'm the idiot." Lily shakes her head. "What kind of dolt leaves their wand at home?"

"Oh, don't joke. I'm sorry."

"Lily, I forgive you. It's fine, I'm fine, _we're _fine. I love you. C'mon, we're both alright."

"I still said it though.

"It's in the past, I can't even remember what you said." She starts to press kisses to the cuts and bruises on his face and although the light pressure hurts a bit it doesn't matter because Lily is here and they love each other and she _does _want him.

"I can." Lily's lip linger on his. "What if you had died?"

"Oi!" He's snatches her face up in his hands and looks at her sternly, heart aching at her expression. "I didn't die. This is me, right here and breathing." He tries to make a joke. "You should have seen the other guys." It doesn't work. "I'm alive, Lily, it doesn't matter. I'm only going to die when we're old and have had hundreds of great-great-great grandchildren and Sirius has stopped looking in the mirror and Remus has read every book in the world and Peter has tried every cheese and I'm in bed with you, after a great long shag."

"But what if you had?"

"But I didn't. So it doesn't matter. We're fine, both of us okay. So, look at me, I love you, we're fine, I'm alive." He presses his swollen lips to hers and then rests his head on her shoulder, waiting for her to stop shaking before speaking. "Forever, alright?" James holds out his broken pinky and she takes it, smiling just slightly.

"And ever."


	19. Medals

Prompt: Olympians!jily at awards

* * *

Lily can't stop grinning as she steps down from the podium, giving one last wave to the crowd as she follows the model to the back of the stage. There she hugs the Hungarian who had come first and the Austrian who had come second. None of them speak a word of the other's language but it doesn't matter; all three are grinning and flushed red, holding their bouquets of flowers - which Marlene had called crappy when they first saw them on tv three days ago - and wearing their medals. Then they are hustled to their coaches for a quick chat - to which Lily isn't even listening - before they are released out of the back.

As soon as she steps out from the protection of the stage building someone with a camera and a microphone is descending upon her and although she's disappointed it's not Clare Balding but she's only come third and she's pretty sure James has just won gold so it's understandable. It takes a few minutes to get away from the friendly interviewer and when she does, Lily is immediately bombarded with hugs, her friends cheering as they squeeze her tightly.

"Fucking hell, Alice, I'm suffocating here." She laughs.

"You won! You won! You won!" Marlene and Alice chant in response to Lily's words and the red head rolls her eyes.

"Third isn't winning." But despite saying that she's never felt happier in her life because she _won an Olympic medal_. Back at the village more of the people she has come to know congratulate her but it's only when the 'Marauders' come into the main meeting hall that everyone really starts cheering. Not only did they win Gold but they beat the world record - the one they had set only a couple of months ago.

It doesn't take long for a party to be in full swing, in celebration of all the medals won thus far - and eventually Lily and James manage to sneak into a corridor. It's the first they've spoken all night but they don't really do much speaking.

"Well done." James smiles into their kiss.

"First. That's something." Lily says as he starts to press his lips against her jaw.

"So's third."

"I know."

"Can't really beat a world record though."

"You guys did."

"Yeah, well, some of us are just born great." James smirks as he lifts Lily up and she wraps her legs around his waist. "My room or yours?" They're both still wearing their medals and the metal clashes together as the couple continue to kiss.

"Oi!" Sirius' shout breaks them apart for a second and, reluctantly, James places her back on the ground. "You have to stay until at least midnight. Horny bastards." He throws them a wink and they roll their eyes, laughing as they walk back into the party and are enveloped by their friends.

The party gets crazier and further spread as more people join and then pair off, only the Marauders and the girls they've become friendly with waiting until midnight before they find a room. Marlene and Sirius stumble off ten minutes before the deadline but no one cares because everyone's drunk and far too engrossed with each other to be paying attention to anyone else. Lily and James take the longest to make it to their room because they keep stopping to kiss as they ascend the stairs and when they finally reach Lily's room they have to retrack to James' because Frank and Alice are already in one of the bedrooms and walking past Sirius and Marlene to the other isn't an idea either James or Lily want to consider.

Peter, Dorcas, Remus and Mary are nowhere to be found so Lily and James collapse onto James' thin bed and before long their layers are strewn on the floor and they're both panting, Lily's fingernails digging into James' shoulders whilst he moves in an alternating rhythm that's driving her crazy. They're still wearing their medals and the bronze and gold distort their figures and reflect the weak light, though they're both far to occupied with the other to be paying attention to this.

When James finally rolls off Lily and pulls her into his arms, he presses a kiss to her sweaty hair and grins.

"Broke a record their too, me thinks." Lily laughed, reaching back to stroke a hand through his unruly hair.

"Felt like it."

"Felt fucking fantastic."

"Awesome alliteration."

"Wow." She grins at his shoddy joke and twists so she's facing him. "Really well done by the way, like, not just fucking around."

"You weren't fucking around a second ago?"

"Oh, shut up, Potter."

"Make me, Evans." And she does.


	20. The Beech Tree

Prompt: something with maybe 1st or 2nd year lily and james being cute

* * *

It's the weekend and James has never been more relieved. He'd never admit it to anyone but he's missed his parents whilst he's been at Hogwarts and now he's going to be seeing them again, come Monday. The last week of term hasn't exactly been stressful but he, Sirius, Peter and Remus have been planning something for the last day and it's been a bit difficult to get everything they'll need. The sun's out too and most of the students are out in the grounds, walking or sunbathing or even paddling in the lake. Every so often a tentacle will splash out and they'll all run, laughing and shrieking, back to shore.

James has been on his own for about twenty minutes since Sirius remembered he had that late essay to hand in, Peter wanted to pack early and Remus was having a meeting with Dumbledore for some reason. The black haired boy looks up as he approaches the beech tree he and his friends often frequent and a frown forms on his lips when he notices someone's hanging upside down from one of the lower branches. On occasion there are sixth years lounging there or fourth years seeing who can climb the highest but he's never seen anyone on their own before. And especially not hanging upside down.

As he comes closer he notices the bright red hair hanging down and he's not sure if he should approach her or turn and bolt. James Potter hasn't always been sure of himself around girls and he's always preferred to just be polite and kind and let them be. His dad always said he should only worry about girls when he was older, girls wouldn't be worrying about him until they were older after all. But Lily Evans was different. Not only was she extremely clever and actually quite pretty but she seemed indifferent to him and his friends. Indifferent in a way that could actually be quite annoying at times.

Coming up behind the beech tree James then spots the fact that Lily's robes have slipped so that they tangle above her knees and he feels his cheeks heat up at the view of her pale and skinny legs. They're not like the legs he and the other Gryffindor first year boys saw in the magazine Peter stole from a sixth year in the first term but they're real legs. Belonging to the girl who seems extremely put out by James' behavior, even though everyone else finds it funny.

"Are you going to stand there all day staring at me?" Her soft voice breaks him out his reverie and James blushes an even deeper red. She's facing away from him but clearly he hadn't been as quiet as he thought. Walking around he stands in front of her but Lily only opens her eyes when he clears his throat. "Yes, I know you're there."

"I wasn't staring at you." He pushes his glasses further up his nose and wonders if he could convince a seventh year to cast a memory charm on her.

"You were too." She gives him a soft smile. "I could feel you looking."

"What, sixth sense?"

"Women's intuition."

"Oh." His mother had told him about that but he hadn't realized girls his age had it. "Why are you hanging upside down?" James decides that drawing the attention away from himself and to her is the best way to stop digging his grave.

"First years aren't allowed broomsticks."

"I know. You didn't answer my question."

"Well I'd rather hang off a tree than jump off the astronomy tower." Lily grins at him and shuts her eyes again and James kind of misses the green her freckled eye lids hide.

"It's like flying?"

"No." Lily sways herself back and forth a bit, her arms lazily moving with her body. "But it's the closest thing I've got."

"You like flying?"

"Why else would I be hanging upside down?"

"You talk very rhetorically."

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm inquisitive."

"I prefer invasive."

"I don't."

"I guessed." This is the longest conversation they've had all year and James can't help but think that she's actually not that bad. Sirius can't stand her but that's not just because of Lily, that's because he thinks her choice of friend is awful. James agrees. Maybe, just maybe though, Snape being her friend doesn't make Lily all that grotty after all.

The twelve year olds are quiet for a moment and James scuffs his feet on the hard ground, turning over a few patches of grass and in general trying to think of something that will pause the awkward silence. Except it isn't so awkward and Lily doesn't seem to mind it so James just stands there and watches the dapples of sun light on her face highlight the freckles that appeared when the easter months started to fade. "Do you want to see something?"

Lily's eyes open and meet his and James wonders if the colour of his eyes are as obvious as hers.

"Go on then." He's not sure what she has up her sleeve and yet he's more curious than he probably should be and as she starts to propel herself forward and backwards in a strong rhythm, he's actually worried that she'll slip and crack her head open. The thought crosses his mind that maybe her blood is the same shade as her hair but that's not really something he wants to think about ever so he tries to pay more attention to what she's actually doing. It's not as if he's ever going to see her bleed anyway.

"Ready?"

"Sure." But he's not and when her legs uncurl from the branch he lurches forward, as if to grab her, and his heart is hammering in his chest. Lily doesn't need catching though because she's arching forward and soaring through the air, her arms stretched out on either side of her like she wants to hug the world. James watches her curve through the air in a way that isn't possible without a broomstick or magic and he can't believe he ever thought Lily Evans was a girl to discard at the back of his mind.

When she lands it isn't soft and although it starts gracefully she trips and then tumbles a few metres down the slope. James runs over as fast as she can but she isn't hurt at all. It's as if she landed on cushions instead of dry mud. Her arms are stretched above her and her red hair splays out around her head and she's grinning, exhilarated.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm wonderful." She looks at him and he lies down next to her and when she turns to look at him he's grinning too.

"Do you know something Evans?" James turns and looks up at the sky and Lily does the same, her smile softening to just a hint.

"What, Potter?"

"You're not half bad."


	21. Not So Bad

Prompt: James and Lily are dating and go to some potter ministry gala

* * *

There's a large marquee in the garden and although the edge of winter has worn off in the easter months, Lily still wishes her robes are thicker. But they're dress robes and dress robes are never very practical and she misses the muggle dresses that are a lot less comfortable but a lot more familiar to her. This is the second time she's worn dress robes and the first was when she was trying these on. James had bought them for her as a late and extra birthday present (or so he said) and she'd appreciated the gift but never thought she'd have an occasion to wear them to. Apparently though, muggle dresses aren't very much welcome at ministry galas.

Lily sighs as she fingers her wand in the sleeve of the blue robes, comforted by its presence although she knows she won't need it. Not tonight when aurors are everywhere and the Potter's have ensured that every safety precaution is in place. As if they'd invite the Prime Minister to their house if there was a risk of an attack. It's almost as comforting as James' arm around her waist but he has disappeared to make sure the youngest Abbot present hasn't really just set the Head of Some Department or Other's robes on fire.

Her eyes move to the long table running down one side of the marquee and she approaches it, making sure not to bump into anyone as she maneuvers her way through the many guests. Mr and Mrs Potter had greeted them about an hour ago but since then they too had merged in with the crowd of sophisticated guests and everyone around her is a stranger. At least the food doesn't shoot her condescending looks as she piles it onto her plate. She has decided that she will take as much food as she can and sneak into the Potter's manor. They've got a fantastic library and the redhead has been meaning to explore it for a while. James doesn't exactly need her here.

Just as she's about to duck under one of the marquee's heavy flaps, an arm grabs her shoulder and spins her around. The plate almost goes flying but Lily's reflexes have become a lot sharper recently and instead the plate stays in her hand and her wand also comes out, pointing at whomever has grabbed her. The black haired boy snatches his hand back and grins, shaking his head at his girlfriend.

"Little bit on edge are we?"

"Merlin, James, _don't _just grab me like that." Lily had been on edge but seeing that it's just her oaf of a boyfriend, she slips her wand back into her sleeve and offers a small smile. "I just wasn't paying attention."

"No, you were too busy sneaking off." He gives her a stern look but his smirk ruins the effect. "Are my parents' parties really that bad?"

"No! Not at all, they're wonderful, your parents are gr-"

"Lily," he's laughing. _Git_. "I'm teasing. C'mon, don't run off." He pouts. _Tosser._ "You haven't even danced yet." Lily frowns as she looks at the dance floor, watching the couples dance with precision and deciding that she's never coming to a stupid gala ever again. _Who even calls them galas anyway? _"Just one dance and then we can go in and have wild sex." Her eyes snap back to him but she can't hold in her laugh.

"I was going to read." James looks a bit put off and she can't even tell if that's genuine or not.

"Well we can do that too, I suppose."

"Fine. Just one dance though." He grins and his eyes light up behind his glasses and Lily can't help but smile too, his happiness contagious. The plate is discarded on the floor and James pulls her through the officials and Heads of departments and then they're in the middle of the dance floor and he puts her hands on his shoulders and his are on her waist and they're dancing.

For a minute they dance in time with the song and the surrounding couples but then James starts to sway his hips and his feet start to move a bit faster. Lily laughs as she tips her head back, her hands in his now as they spin in crazy circles that send other couples jumping out of their way and cursing at the "impropriety of the scandalous younger generation". When Mr Potter rushes onto the dance floor and interrupts them they're too busy grinning to heed his reprimands - his lips are twitching even as he escorts them to a corner - and later on they're slow dancing just outside of the marquee and Lily decides that she doesn't mind ministry galas _that_ much.

"So, you coming to the one next month?"

"What?" Lily looks up at him, aghast.

"Just kidding." James laughs and Lily rolls her eyes, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss him anyway. "But you _have _to come to the one in the summer." She kicks him in the shin.


	22. Packages

Prompt: delirious james (and maybe sirius needs lily's help)

* * *

Lily shifts slightly as she turns the page of her book, thinking that the theory behind Transfiguration couldn't get any more boring. Her head is in Marlene's lap and her arms ache at holding the text book above her but the red head hasn't been able to get comfortable anywhere else. James had run off with Sirius about two hours ago - "It'll only take a few minutes, we promise we're not up to anything." - so Lily had resigned herself to catching up with homework. Head duties had taken up a lot of her time but James has also been quite distracting. If she'd honest, it's probably quite a good thing he's disappeared for a little bit.

"Um, Lils, look at the portrait hole." Marlene's voice causes Lily to look away from the thick book - not that she's actually been reading it properly - and Lily glances towards the portrait hole. Her forehead creases as she sees Sirius Black waving his arms above his head, hands gesticulating wildly. When he realizes she's seen him, he motions for her to come over. Lily shakes her head, sitting up. Marlene rolls her eyes before returning to her own homework and leaves Lily to watch as Sirius runs a frustrated hand through his hair and then starts to reenact some event or other. It's actually quite amusing when he shoots his fingers into his own neck but Lily still has no idea what he's on about.

Finally Sirius stops - Lily isn't the only one looking at him now - and points first at Lily and then at the spot in front of him.

"I'll be right back." She says to Marlene, sighing as she stands up and makes her way across to Sirius. She doesn't hear Marlene's dry 'sure' in response. Just as she's about to ask Sirius what in Godric's name he is doing, he grabs her wrist and yanks her ungracefully through the portrait hole. Rubbing her elbow on the other side, she then digs it into his ribs in retaliation.

"What in Godric's name is going on you absolute arse?"

"James." Lily's eyes narrow.

"What about him?"

"He's your boyfriend."

"I'm aware."

"You're his girlfriend."

"That's generally how these things work." Lily leans against the wall, glancing at the Fat Lady who looks a bit fed up with Sirius but for some reason is keeping her mouth shut. Sirius pulls a face at her and then spins around, as if trying to decide something. "Where is this going, Black?"

"You guys help each other out, right?"

"It'd probably be a shit relationship if we didn't."

"Don't sass me."

"I'll sass you until you tell me what's going on."

"I need your help!" He says it quickly and Lily's slightly shocked. Both by the actual words and the fact that that's what he was taking so long to say.

"You do understand I'm not _your _girlfriend?" Sirius snorts.

"James' girlfriend, my girlfriend."

"That's creepy."

"That's best friends."

"No, that's just creepy."

"We're a package."

"Wrong address. I'll return it."

"And break James' heart."

"And apparently yours."

"No! Stop getting me off track -" Lily holds her hands up in surrender and Sirius grabs her wrist again. "_I _don't need your help, per se, but James does."

"What's happened?" He starts to drag her down the corridor and she pulls her wrist from his grip and jogs next to him.

"He's a bit, well, odd…"

"I know, I'm dating him."

"Oh, you'll understand when we get there."

There turns out to be where Sirius dumped him. Behind a tapestry on the second floor. ("Couldn't get him any further." He gives as an explanation. Lily thinks it's a shitty explanation.) When Lily pulls it back she's not sure what to expect but it's definitely not what she sees.

James is struggling in the alcove, his ankles and wrists bound with rope and a gag in his mouth.

"What the fuck Sirius?" Lily can't move fast enough as she crouches down to start undoing the ropes but Sirius stops her.

"He's delirious. Only way I could get him to actually stay still."

"No wonder you couldn't get him further than the second floor you prat."

James grunts and starts to move more furiously, twisting and turning in his binds and that's when Lily notices the sweat on his forehead and the slight rash creeping in on his neck.

"Um, Sirius, what happened?" She places what she thinks is a soothing hand on James' forehead but he just shudders and ducks away. Again Lily starts to take off ropes, ignoring Sirius' protestations and waiting for his answer. "Sirius?" She prompts.

"Something bit him." Lily pauses, takes a breath, and tries not to regret saying yes to James.

"How?"

"In the general biting way." Lily's finished with the ankle ropes now and James starts to kick, aiming his feet at Lily and Sirius as his eyes flash.

"Don't be an arse."

"We were in Greenhouse Three and one of the plants bit him and I don't know which one it was but he started speaking in some language and then like fainted for a second and when he woke up he yelling about burning down the economy and postal offices and Jupiter and drinking mercury - I don't even know what mercury is - and then he shut up a bit but he was muttering and pacing and so I knew something was up -"

"You didn't get that at first?"

"So I brought him up here and he started kicking so I tied him up and came and got you."

"You do realise Hogwarts has a hospital wing?" Lily pulls her wand out and vanishes the rest of the ropes and Sirius' reply is drowned by James whistles and manic laughs. Diving around Lily, Sirius slams his hand over James' mouth to muffle the sound. "You weren't meant to be there were you. _That's _why you couldn't take him to the hospital wing because than you'd have to say what had happened."

"Well done, you figured it out." Sirius looks over his shoulder at her and Lily sighs as he sees the slight desperation in the set of his jaw.

"Fine, I'll help. But only because the rash looks dangerous and he's my boyfriend."

"Eternally grateful."

"You should be." She leaves Sirius with James - looking over her shoulder several times - and when she returns half an hour later, James is sleeping fitfully. The potion Lily snuck out from Slughorn's supply cupboard doesn't take too long to work and by the time Sirius and Lily have pulled James to the fifth floor, he's woken up.

"Whah heppenod?" The black haired boy changes letters as he asks, blearily looking around him and noticing his best mate and his girlfriend supporting him. Then he throws up.

Lily and Sirius clear away the puke, but it's mostly Lily ("No way am I touching his vomit." "You're such a baby." "No, I'm hygienic."), and then sit either side of James in the corridor. He slumps his body against Lily and she tries to ignore the rancid smell of sick.

"What happened?"

"You guys were up to no good." Lily smirks, gently tugging on James' ear lobe as she glares over his head at Sirius.

"What's new." James sighs, rubbing the fading rash on his neck.


	23. First Kiss

Prompt: Could you maybe possibly perhaps write one about their first kiss? :P

* * *

They'd snuck out to Hogsmeade for an evening after their second date, which had been at Hogwarts, had been interrupted several times by the other Gryffindor seventh years. Lily hadn't minded the idea until she realized she'd have to crawl for at least half a mile until the tunnel opened up. But the date had made her forget all about the crawl because they'd spent two hours holed up in a booth at the back of _The Three Broomsticks, _slowly making their way through ten butterbeers each and just talking.

"Who's your favourite band?"

"Muggle or wizard?"

"Muggle."

"The Beatles. You?"

"The Kinks."

"Favourite wizard band?"

"Celestina Warbeck."

"Really?"

"Of course not. The Winged Bludgers."

"They're my favourite too."

"Seriously?"

"Uhuh, I love 'Amortentia' by them."

"Okay so what about favourite film?"

"What's a film?"

"Oh, yeah, you guys don't have them."

She'd insisted on walking back up though and it was lucky James had thought to bring the invisibility cloak, otherwise they would have had to rely on stealth alone to get into the castle. The couple had taken a detour through the grounds on their way up though and are currently sitting on the rocks by the lake, shivering slightly at the cool breeze drifting off the dark water.

"Do you ever get scared?" Their hands are entwined on the cold rock as Lily asks the question, not letting her eyes meet James' and instead looking at the crescent moon reflecting on the lake.

"Of what?"

"Of _him. _Of what's outside. Of what we're going to have to face when we leave here. Of the war." He looks at her and he can't help but love her even though they're only on their third date and she's only just said yes and she's only been his friend for a year.

"All the time." James whispers, softly squeezing her hand.

"How do you stop it scaring you?"

"You can't." His hazel eyes move away from her pale face and out to the stars, trying to find the North star - the one his father always used to point out to him when James was upset and say 'Whenever you feel lost just look up. That'll star will always be there, wherever you are. It'll always be there to remind you that things will get better.' James finds it and smiles to himself. "You've just got to remember things will always get better."

"But what if you forget that."

"Do you want to know how I remember?" She nods subtly and he only just catches it out of the corner of his eye but the black haired boy knows she's sincere. "I think of you." Lily's head snaps around to him but he doesn't let on that he's seen, just continues to watch the North star. "I think of my dad and my mum and Sirius and Peter and Remus too but… mainly I think of you. Your hair, your smile, your laugh, your eyes, your voice. Everything about you. It reminds me that things, no matter how bad they get, will always get better."

"How?"

"Because you made me better. And because I always feel better when I'm around you."

"James." It's just the slightest whisper but he looks at her and there are tears on her face but Lily is smiling and it is the most beautiful thing James has seen and then her hands are at the back of his neck and her lips are on his and it's teeth and tongue and lips and _he's kissing Lily Evans._

She can't help but kiss him because her heart is racing at his words and he's so beautiful and he makes her feel better all the damn time and so she puts her hands on the back of his neck and pulls her to him and it's all lips and teeth and tongue but _she's kissing James Potter. _


	24. Happy Thoughts

Prompt: Jily and dementors

* * *

Two weeks ago, a muggle had run into their local police station, absolutely crazed, screaming about seeing zombies crossing their field. Of course the muggle police had dismissed it immediately as a stupid prank but later that same day, the muggle had vanished for an hour and returned with no recollection that they had ever seen any sort of zombies. It hadn't been zombies at all; it had been inferi. A few of the Order had been dispatched to sort the problem out and two weeks later James and Lily had been given the task of going to check up on the place.

They'd decided to stay for three hours, the first being dedicated to thoroughly searching the town and the other two given to waiting to see if anything strange occurred. An hour and forty eight minutes had past when they started to relax, laughing and holding hands and not bothering to keep their wands out.

"We could just leave." James suggests now, sitting down on the stile they had just come to.

"And do what exactly?" Lily asks as she comes to stand in front of him.

"Well..." he grins. "I spotted a B&B in the town. Could make good use of one of their bedrooms." He rests his hands on her hips as she rolls her eyes, a smile still gracing her face.

"Dumbledore would kill us."

"The inferi was meant to do that and there isn't any." The black-haired boy counters quickly and then tells himself off for being so eager.

"Hmm. It's not as if Dumbledore would find out." The idea of going to a B&B and spending an hour in a bedroom with her fiance is one she's more than happy to oblige to but Lily still puts up some resistance, knowing she can't give in too easily. "Then again. The town could be stampeded by mountain trolls and we'd be too busy to help."

"Aww, come off it Lils. Nothing has happened for the past hour and fifty minutes. We'll be fine." James makes doe eyes at her and she laughs, brushing her fingers over his chin. "Please." He adds, in a whimper.

"Fine." Quickly she leans forwards and presses a gentle kiss to his cold lips, before pulling back and tugging him up with her. "Let's go." Their steps are quick as they walk back the way they came, on the muddy footpath alongside a field full of crops. Every so often they stop and share a kiss but mainly they focus on getting back to the town as quickly as possible. Just as they walk onto the next field, a cold wind falls on them, blown suddenly from the trees on their right.

James flinches and Lily stops in her tracks, both of them whipping out their wands and pointing them at the trees. Whatever it is, and they both have a good idea, is definitely not muggle. As it starts to get colder, mist creeps around their feet and Lily shivers, her thoughts already turning dark. James tries to block out the images of his father coughing up blood and throwing up as he spots the dark cloaks drifting towards them through the trunks.

"You alright?" He whispers, in his fighting stance, as he throws a glance at his fiance. The redhead nods and she doesn't need to return the question to know that James isn't all right. There's sweat on his forehead and his wand is trembling.

Lily squeezes her eyes tightly shut for a moment, the images of Marlene being tortured, her cat being hit by a car, her sister screaming "Freak!", Snape calling her a mudblood, James bleeding all over, her dad on his death bed, her mother crying as her hair falls out all running through her head. She forces her eyes open though, knowing she musn't succumb to the sadness that is coursing through her.

James feels as if he will never be happy ever again. He sees his dad in his coffin. He sees his mother crying at the funeral. He sees Sirius turning up bloody and broken on his doorstep several years ago. He sees Remus shaking from nightmares about the full moon. Peter screaming in agony. Lily, his Lily, crying. Lily bleeding. Lily broken. Lily unconscious. Sirius delirious. Remus sneaking back in to the dorm after a full moon in first year, fresh cuts and bruises on his body. Peter begging for mercy. He can't do it. He can't cast the spell.

The dementors are coming closer and Lily reaches out with one hand, feeling blindly for James' and grabbing onto it when she finds it, squeezing tightly. He squeezes back and the black shapes are getting closer.

"Ready?" She asks, searching for a happy memory. It takes a moment but then the warmth in James' hand brings it. James smiling, James laughing, Sirius and Peter giggling as they transfigure Remus' prefect badge, James on one knee, kissing James, waking up to James' face, Marlene and Alice spinning beneath the beech tree in giddy circles, James' head between her legs, holding James' hand... Lily finds the happiest one - the first time they said they loved each other - and grips onto it tightly, replaying it in her mind as she raises her wand.

He can't even reply. James' knees are weak and he feels as if he can't go on. The death of his father is too recent for this. The memories fresh and burning and _happy memory. Find one. _He has too. Lily's hand finds his and he grips it tightly, no memory coming forth.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Lily yells it, moving her wand and watching James' lips move to form the words 'I love you' in her mind, just as the silvery light bursts from her wand. There are about thirty dementors and the doe is strong, starting to canter forwards and scatter them. But James hasn't said anything. She squeezes her hand tighter and wills him too.

He hears her voice and that's what he needs. _Lily_. There is no one specific memory that appears; just her, alive and alight. Dancing and laughing and kissing and smiling and swearing and crying and moaning and throwing her head back and spinning and clapping and dancing and hugging and he can do it.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _The stag leaps from the end of his wand, catching up with the doe and charging the black shapes. Together the deer gallop and charge and push the dementors back and seeing them move together, the stag and the doe, make both of their patronus' brighter. It in itself - seeing proof that they do belong together - is a happy memory. The dementors scatter and with one last image of the first time they saw each other's patronus charm, the doe and the stag push away the last creature and then stand together, heads inclined to the other, before fading away into a wisp of light.

The cold has gone and the fog recedes, the ground still frosty as they move and hug each other, Lily's hands gripping at the back of his robes and James' arms squeezing her rib cage. She buries her face in his shoulder and he hides his own in her hair.

For a moment they are silent and then Lily is laughing and it is such a beautiful sound that James can't help but break away from the hug, holding hands though, and look at each other.

"The stag and the doe, right?" Lily asks.

"The stag and the doe." James nods, smiling.


	25. Hospital

Prompt: James gets sick and has to be taken to St Mungos. Jily ensues.

* * *

James has been sick all week. It had started on Saturday after they'd played a five hour quidditch game in torrential rain and he'd been coughing and sneezing since. Pomfrey had given him several potions to try and remedy the situation but none of them had worked so he'd been sent off to St Mungo's to see if there's a more serious problem. Every day he'd spent in the hospital wing (Tuesday to Friday) Lily had been to see him, spending her evenings sitting at the end of her bed and doing her homework. She'd been bringing him some of the catch up work too but James had had a few objections to that.

Now it was Friday and Lily had found out at that lunch that her boyfriend of three months had been transported to St Mungo's that morning, whilst she was in Double Charms. After asking Madame Pomfrey if she could go see him she had then gone to McGonagall and finally been escorted to Dumbledore. An hour spent in his office had resulted in a portkey sending her straight to James' ward at St Mungo's.

"Lily!" James grins in surprise as he spots her walking toward him through the hospital beds, following a nurse who isn't wholly approving of the whole matter. "What are you doing here?" He asks as she reaches his bed and sits down on the rickety chair next to his head.

"Pleasure to see you too." Lily laughs, reaching out and pressing the back of her hand to his head to see if he's cooled down. He might have been boiling all week but James had said he hadn't actually felt warm at all. His forehead has cooled down now though and so Lily smiled, relief rushing through her.

"Oh, you know what I mean." He holds out is hand as the nurse walks off and she takes it.

"Well, I actually demanded to come and see you." The redhead looks down at her lap as she tells him what happened. "Had to go see Dumbledore and we had a bit of a debate and I, um, won." Lily looks up at him through her eyelashes and finds him grinning his head off, obviously holding back a laugh. Gently she flicks his side and he rolls his eyes.

"That's my girl."

"Shut up. I found out at lunch they'd brought you here and I just had to come, make sure you're alright. The boys don't know yet."

"They'll demand to see me too. Merlin, I love being popular." Lily raises her eyebrows in amusement but does't comment, aware that he's just being an arse. "So, do I get a kiss?" For the whole week Lily had been sneaking a quick peck on the corner of his lips when she arrived and when she left, when Pomfrey wasn't looking, and clearly she hadn't been the only one missing their proper kisses.

"I am not catching your infection."

"Aww, please, it's almost gone." He puckers his lips and Lily looks over her shoulder, hiding her smile.

"Fine but stop being a duck." Complying quickly James leans forwards and Lily leans down, pressing her lips gently against his and smiling at the familiar warmth and softness. A throat cleared behind them makes them jolt apart but they're both grinning quite goofily. James' grin widens when he spots the Marauders standing behind Lily.

"So you get sent off to St Mungo's, you don't tell us but you haul your girlfriend over… you need to sort out your priorities mate." Sirius smirks, walking up and lightly jumping onto the end of the bed. James moves his feet out of the way just in time.

"Watch it, Black." Lily laughs, squeezing James' hand as Peter and Remus walk over and lean against the end of the bed.

"You feeling better then?" Remus questions, trying to look at the clipboard on the railings.

"Much." James grins and pulls Lily in for another kiss.

"She'll be the one with the infection soon."

"Oh, shut up Black." Lily groans, taking a quick breath before again putting her lips against James'


	26. Not Just Cute

Prompt: James and smelling salts

* * *

Lily laughs, burying her face into the pillow and trying to muffle the noise but James continues to tickle her and she can't keep quiet. The curtains on James' four poster are shut and the other male seventh years are down in the common room; James had kicked them out an hour ago when Lily came back from the library and immediately ran up to his dormitory and requested she talk to him in private. They all knew she didn't want to _talk_ but the Marauders had eventually agreed to leave - not completely willingly - and James and Lily had been able to make good use of his bed. It hadn't been anything more than fooling around but they're both topless and still giddy. Still she tries to muffle her laughter, kicking at him in attempt to get his pesky fingers away from her sides.

"Stop it!" She manages to get out, flipping over and pushing at his shoulders.

"What's the magic word?" James leans in, grinning, and moves his hands across her stomach, not letting up.

"No way am I saying that, _again._"

"In that case…" His hands tickle down towards her thighs and she shrieks, throwing her head back with laughter and almost managing to roll away.

"Fine, fine, fine!" The boy pauses momentarily, letting her catch her breath for only a second. "James Potter," she says something else but it's only mumbled and he can't hear her.

"Sorry, didn't catch that." James' fingers start up again, moving up and down her thighs as she squirms to get away.

"_James Potter is the best shag I've ever had._"

"You have now idea how much I'm flattered by that." He responds cheekily, moving so he's kneeling next to her and running a hand through his hair.

"I haven't even shagged you yet, you bastard." Lily smiles all the same though, poking him in the chest as her breathing returns to normal before turning and burying, once again, her face in his pillow. Her hands sneak beneath it and she's expecting to just clasp her fingers in the middle but her right hands brushes over something.

James is grinning still, running a single finger down her spine and up again - Lily isn't going to give him the pleasure of showing him that that's doing wonderful things to her - and watching the way her hair falls over her shoulder blades. He hasn't noticed that she's pulled out something from beneath his pillow. In the moment he's even forgotten he's got stuff hidden beneath it. Usually he stuffs it under his mattress when he knows she's coming but he hadn't had much warning earlier.

Just as she's rolling over with it in her hand, James notices she has something and his eyes widen.

"No!" He makes a lunge for the small, thin string bag but Lily moves and holds it out of his reach.

"What's this, Potter?" She asks, already fully aware of what it is. Lily's mother keeps a few for when she gets a cold and the redhead is familiar with them. "Smelling salts?"

"No, they're not -" His girlfriend silences him with a raised eyebrow as she raises the pouch full of small herbs to her nose and takes a sniff. "Cherry and…"

"Raspberry." James offers begrudgingly.

"Never heard of cherry and raspberry smelling salts before." Lily comments, shaking the bag and then taking another sniff. "I recognize the smell though." Shifting back so she's kneeling opposite James, she pulls up the sheet they had rucked up from his bed and tucks it under her armpits so she's covered. "Why do you have smelling salts?" He just crosses his arms though, biting his lip. "And why do I recognize that smell?"

"Well, most people have eaten cherries and raspberries before."

"Don't be cheeky." Lily rolls her eyes, looking from the salts to her boyfriend. "They're not actual smelling salts are they?"

"No." He sulks. "They're like a wizard version."

"That's a very descriptive piece of information there." Lily replies, chucking the salts to him and falling back onto the pillow. James silently begs her not to look under the pillow again. Merlin knows how he'd continue living if she found the picture of her and him he kept under there. Catching the salts he closes his fist over the pouch, refusing to smell it.

"Now _you're _being cheeky." He points out. Lily shrugs, watching him from her position. James sighs. "Muggle salts wake you up right? That's what Remus said." Lily nods in confirmation. "Well these help you sleep, except…" he trails off and pushes his glasses further up his nose, unsure how much he should tell her. "Mainly they help you have good dreams. Each one has a specific smell and then you have to charm the salts - otherwise I'd just dream of cherries and raspberries."

"So what do you dream of with these?" James clears his throat and avoids her eyes, suddenly feeling very hot. Lily narrows her eyes, a realization dawning on her. "My shampoo is raspberry and cherry." Her eyes widen and then she's laughing and James is blushing and glaring at her darkly. "No, no, no I'm not laughing _at _you." She sits up and pulls him into a hug, pressing a few kisses to his cheek. Being stubborn, James doesn't uncross his arms and just waits for her to release him.

"Why are you laughing then?"

"Because it's cute."

"James Potter isn't _cute_." He protests, almost in outrage.

"Oh, I think you'll find he most definitely is." Lily grins, her stomach full of butterflies because of his revelation. Rolling his eyes James chucks the smelling salts to the floor and tackles her back. Their hands clasp either side of her head and he straddles her legs, looking down at her with a grin on his face.

"Why don't you let me prove you wrong?"

"Sure you don't need some salts to help you?" She teases and, retaliating, he leans forwards and starts to press kisses across her collar bone. It isn't long before James has proved himself to be a lot more than just cute.


	27. Kiss It All Better

Prompt: Kiss It All Better by He Is We

* * *

James slams his fist into the wall and screams, his skin ripping open once again as he bangs his fists into the brick. In the cells around him other prisoners scream and yell but all he can hear is her. The days pass and he can no longer tell when it is night or day and he no longer cares. It's always dark. He lies on the floor and cries. He stands behind the bars and screams. He sleeps on the bed and dreams.

_The bullet rockets out of the gun and Lily is blown backwards. James realizes what's happening and he launches himself forward, catching her just as she crumples. He kneels on the floor, her lying in his arms, and presses his hand against the wound in her stomach. He has no idea what exactly has happened but she's bleeding and he can't stop it and there are tears on her face and his vision is blurred and she's dying. _

_It's all his fault, he should of known what was happening. Should of stepped in front of her. Should of saved her. It should be him on the floor and not her. Never her. Not his Lily. James holds her close, pressing his lips to her forehead in desperation and wishing he knows what to do. She's trembling, her body shivering slightly as blood seeps through his fingers and rolls down her stomach. _

_"James…" she murmurs, reaching up and pressing a cold hand to his cheek. _

_"Lily, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. What do I do? I don't know what to do." He's crying too now, staring into her eyes as if the answer will be held in the green pools there. "Lily." James whispers, the hand soaked in blood reaching up to hold her slender fingers against his cheek. The blood is warm, warmer than her skin. Her blue lips tilt into a shaky smile as she speaks, tears staining her cheeks._

_"Kiss it all better." Lily smiles properly. "Kiss it all better." James leans forwards and presses his lips to hers, salt and iron in his mouth. The black haired man pulls away and shakes his head, pressing his hand back on the wound and looking over his shoulder. There must be someone who can help, anyone. "James." His name on her lips calls him back to her and he looks down into her face. "I'm not ready to go." Lily whispers. He chokes back more tears and shakes his head._

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Merlin, I'm sorry, Lily."_

_"It's not your fault love, you didn't know." James presses his forehead to hers. "You didn't know." He hears her repeat. And then, again. "I'm not ready to go. Kiss it all better."_

_"Everything will be alright. I promise, everything will be alright." But there's a last intake of breath and he's crying and he knows it won't be because she's so cold and her eyes are dull and Lily is dead and it's all his fault. Her voice, so soft and gentle and broken, echoes in his head but all he can hear is the gun shot. Over and over again, pushing her back to the floor. Lily is dead. His Lily is dead. His whole world is gone. James screams as he hugs her limp body, crying into her shoulder and begging her to come back. He croaks out the words "Everything will be alright." but she's already gone._

_The gun is on the floor and as he opens his eyes he sees it. The gun that the coward had before he ran. The gun that killed the love of his life. Anger soars through him and all he can see is the blood on Lily and his hands and then there's silver between his fingers and he's running, chasing after the coward who tore his world apart. He'll get revenge. _

_Running through darkness, the metal heavy in his hands. And then he sees him and James raises the gun. He'd seen them used in muggle films and he's completely forgotten about his wand, dropped somewhere in an alley he ran through, and the gun is pointed at the man's back. James pulls the trigger. The coward falls forward, a hole pierced in his back, right through his heart. He drops and James screams, throwing the gun and crying. The man is dead but Lily isn't back. Lily is dead… he's never going to see her again. _

Now she's only a memory. A memory in his head that he can't get rid of and wishes was true. A memory he wants to have back. James wants her in his arms but Lily is gone and he's in Azkaban. No muggle charges but stuck in the darkness for twenty five to life and he can't live without her. Not without Lily. She was his world. And now she's gone. He wants her to stay. He doesn't want her to go, he can't bear it.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep." He begs the empty cell and all he can hear is Lily's voice, cracked, in his head.

"Kiss it all better. I don't want to go."


	28. Boggart

Prompt: Jily panic attack

* * *

Remus had said he'd deal with it later but Lily had already had to direct three groups of people away from the corridor so she'd decided to tackle the problem herself. They'd covered boggarts firstly in third year but hadn't done anything practical with them since fourth. She'd fared quite well against her own fear - in third year it had been an impossibly large rat which she had changed into a tiny mouse - but she had no idea what her fear would be now, in seventh year. _It can't be too bad. _Lily had thought when she first let it out from the suit of armour it had been hiding in. Except it had been.

When Remus had mentioned to him that he was going to deal with a boggart Lily had found, James had offered to do it. The Potter household received quite a few boggarts in the rooms that were unused for the majority of the time and he was confident enough to deal with them. And Remus had to finish a DADA essay - which James had done the night they got it - so it was easier for the black haired boy to do it. Usually teachers were called in when boggarts were involved but the Head Boy and Head Girl were trusted enough to sort it out. But he wished they weren't when he reached the corridor.

"Lily?" He's about two steps away from turning the corner and the sounds of muffled sobs reach his ears. Quickening his step he rounds the corner and his heart drops. Lily is curled up against the wall, shoulders heaving as she rocks back and forth, shaking her head and crying. He's by her side in a second. "Lily? What's wrong, hey, hey, it's me, I'm right here." She's shaking uncontrollably and when he tries to touch her she flinches, pressing herself into the wall. "Hey, its me, James… Lily, you're alright." She turns to look at him and her face is tracked with tears and the only thing in her green eyes is panic.

A stream of mumbled words tumble from her pale lips and all he catches is "not real." The crease on his brow deepens as his eyes flash up and down the corridor. They're the only two there. "Not real." He catches again.

"I'm real Lily. I'm really real. Sex on legs with specks." James makes sure his voice is gentle and soothing even though he can feel his own panic start to rise. What's happened? His hands hover about her, wanting to touch her and comfort her but not wanting to make her flinch again.

"The boggart…" she shivers. "not real." Lily's voice is trembling and James fights the urge to hug her to him.

"Boggart?" It dawns on him. "That's right, the boggart isn't real. Not at all. _I'm _real. Real as can be." He smiles. "What was it?"

"You… my mum, dad, 'Tuney, Sirius, Marls, Peter, Remus, Mary, Em, Dorcas, Alice…" her eyes meet his and they are full of tears. "You were all dead." James feels as if an iron fist has grabbed his heart but he forces a smile.

"That's not real. We're all alive. Me, your mum, your dad, Petunia. My cocks for friends. Emmeline, Marlene, Frank and Alice, Dorcas, Dumbledore, the Prewetts. Everyone. We're all alive. Still here." Slowly he reaches an arm around her shoulders. The redhead freezes, her breathing speeding up again but when he pulls her into his lap she relaxes slightly.

"You were bleeding… your eyes were open and they were blank and I, I just, it was so real…" she buries her face into his shoulder and cries silently, James' arms wrapping around her body and lips pressing kisses in her hair.

"It was just the boggart. I'm alive and I'm not going anywhere. Not until we're old and grey with hundreds of great-great-grandchildren. We'll have a great long shag and then die peacefully in each other's arms." He murmurs the words into her ear and the tears start to slow, just a bit.

"You're real?"

"Real as can be." James tilts her chin up, already noting the fact that she is no longer shaking and her eyes are less full of panic. "You and me, we're real too." Lily nods slowly, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"I was so scared, I thought I'd lost you." Her voice is still shaky and James sneaks in a quick kiss. Her eyes flash from the corridor to his and her lips quiver. "That was very real."

"Told you so." Lily smiles - almost - and then leans forwards, catching James' lips in a kiss. They stay like that, Lily curled up in his lap, James with his back against the stone wall, for a while and when Remus comes across them later it is to find them both asleep, exhausted but just about happy.


	29. The Marauders

Prompt: Marauders' friendship from Lily's pov

* * *

In first year Lily had tried to ignore the Gryffindor first year boys after their encounter on the train and for the majority of the time, her mission of not speaking to them had been successful. After all, she spent most of her time either with the first year girls or with Sev and although the boys did like to take the mick out of the latter, they were too keen preening themselves to take notice all the time. Sometimes though, she hadn't quite been able to avoid them. Of course the fifth Gryffindor first year - Caradoc Dearborn - was alright and mainly just hung out with his friends in Ravenclaw. And Remus Lupin was actually quite nice to her in Charms and the other one, Peter Pettigrew, seemed almost as eager to stay out of Lily's way as she was to stay out of theirs. It was Sirius Black and James Potter who were unavoidable. On occasion they would just pop out of nowhere with a chocolate frog, shove it down Lily's friend's robes and then leg it. Other times they would be hauled up to the front of the class because "if one more word leaves your mouths on the about that vulgar subject you will lose your house ten points. Each."

It was even quite likely that sometimes Lily would find herself sat next to them at breakfast or dinner, eavesdropping or ignoring their conversations that got more ludicrous (and funnier) as the year went on. Because of that, she wasn't able to avoid interacting with them entirely. And she had no idea what to make of them. On the train they had been two arse holes she wanted to slap but when she wasn't with Severus they could be funny and clever and even interesting. More than that, Lily noticed how throughout the year they managed to develop a way of communicating across the classroom without even speaking or moving their lips. How James would know when Sirius needed to copy his work or borrow a quill before Sirius had even asked. How Sirius accompanied James to the pitch, even if the black haired boy had just suddenly had a feeling that "the air was right", to help him practice on the school brooms for second year. How, steadily, Remus spent more and more time with them and rolled his eyes at their jokes but picked up their silent communication within weeks. How James would make paper aeroplanes and aim then at Remus' head whenever he started to drop off during class. How Peter Pettigrew laughed at their jokes and joined in on their wheelbarrow races down the corridor. How Sirius slow danced with the other three in the common room for no particular reason. How the four seemed to have formed a group that was inseparable. It seemed that, despite being arses a lot of the time, they clearly had some good traits otherwise they wouldn't have friends.

During second year the redhead noted how they got closer, as if they had bonded over some flabbergasting secret, and did not for one second doubt one of the others. Lily spoke more with Remus and it was difficult not to see some of the other three's mannerisms in the way he would occasionally ruffle his hair or skip the 't's in some of his words or not notice how he was using his fork in his left hand when usually he used it in his right. She didn't spend a lot of time thinking about how the four boys had miraculously found such a strong bond with each other but it was hard not to laugh when Sirius managed the perfect imitation of James one day in Potions or when Peter accidentally came into the common room wearing Remus' robes instead of his own.

They were best friends and there was nothing more complicated about it than that. It was so obvious to the entire school that a name was even coined for them. It wasn't intentional for the name to stick and it hadn't actually been a 'name' - per se - in the first place... except things had a funny way of working out. Frank Longbottom had been the one to label them with the name, their antics of levitating snowballs to hit against the common room window causing him to lean out and yell down at them. Not a lot of what he said was heard in the common room - though everyone got the gist of it - however "bunch of bloody Marauders" was the most popular phrase for the rest of the month in Hogwarts.

With third year came the nicknames and it was impossible for anyone at Hogwarts to ignore the "Oi, Black!"'s and "Hey, Specky!"'s and "Moony, you cheating bastard!"'s and "Pan, how's Neverland?"'s that were constantly chucked across corridors. Lily knew that they could never decide on nicknames for each other and they changed often. Sometimes Sirius would be 'Black', other times 'Sandra', other times 'mutt'. It was only Remus who managed to maintain a nickname for more than a year (his whole school career) and Lily knew there was something dodgy about that but never stopped to question it. Their pranks got more outrageous and their punishments had even less effect on them than they had had in second year. For Lily, it was only when she came down to the common room at midnight, because she had remembered a forgotten quill, and saw Peter snoring with his head in Sirius' lap and James trying to stay awake by flicking playing cards at his friends that she realized they were more than just pranks and nicknames and puns.

Of course in fourth year, they were well and truly walking hand in hand with puberty and their friendship became a lot louder. Often they would be found marking each other's heights in a corner in the common room, trying to figure out who exactly was tallest (in fourth year it was a tie between Sirius and Remus) and teasing the others that they hadn't hit their growth spurt yet. Lily could see how the four boys were becoming even more intelligent and sometimes she found herself staying up into the small hours, just so she would get a better mark on the test tomorrow and beat Sirius to top spot. She would see James trying to steal Sirius' pancakes at breakfast and Sirius flicking golden syrup at him in response and Peter hitting him on the shoulder with his book and Remus subtly stealing Sirius' other pancake whilst Sirius was distracted with attacking James. And in the evening she would be laughing with Dorcas and Mary about something and she couldn't help but hope that one day the Gryffindor girls would be as close as the Gryffindor boys because, yes, they were prats but they loved each other.

Fifth year came and cockiness and aggravation arrived with it. As well as height; James and Sirius shot up so much during the first month of fifth year that McGonagall had to take them to Diagon Alley one weekend to get them new sets of robes. For Lily this meant she was much less interested in the Marauders. Not only did they now parade their height over everyone, but they also enjoyed being arrogant bastards. The redhead could appreciate that the occasional joke that they made was funny and they were still as thick as thieves but there was a dynamic in the group of boys that had altered slightly and it wasn't hard to miss.

When the "Incident" happened, Lily found she couldn't care one jot about any of them; Remus, who she had become a lot closer to over the years, included. Their friendship, their hair, their romantic lives, their pranks, their grades… she didn't care about any of it. All she wanted was to not have lost her friendship with Severus.

But things change and, in sixth year, Lily came to appreciate them again. Cockiness had been replaced with charm and aggravation with amity (almost). She found herself drinking with them in the evenings on Hogsmeade weekends and laughing when Sirius left James with a hickey the size of Peter's watch. If she was stuck on Transfiguration homework Remus would lend her his notes and James and Sirius would provide amendments to her essays - though the latter didn't always prove so helpful. Peter would sidle up to her in the hallways and ask if she wanted to meet them beneath the Beech tree at lunch and she would. It became the regular meeting place for all the Gryffindor sixth years and soon the boys and girls were integrated as a group. It was still the Marauders but there seemed to be a '& Co' stuck on the end of it.

Beneath the tree the boys would lounge about and Remus would dare Sirius to climb to the tree and Marlene would beat him up there and by the time Sirius jumped down, James and Peter already had about a hundred new insults for him. In the common room they had the seats by the fire and it seemed Marauder law that Remus got the slightly saggy arm chair, Sirius and Peter shared the striped sofa and James kept the third sofa to himself.

Lily could see that they were all friends now but it was still obvious that the boys were still the Marauders when Sirius would fling something casual out and all four boys would fall about in laughter, despite whatever was said having no humour in it at all - to the rest of the group. At lunch they would save each other places and in the Quidditch stands they would heckle James instead of cheering for him, yelling insults louder than any one from the Slytherin stands. And yet when he scored, three voices were heard whooping and cheering louder than any of the rest. Towards the end of sixth year she knew that she couldn't consider James "just a friend" anymore because she knew that she did, utterly and completely, fancy him.

Seventh year swung around and, to her, they were Moony and Wormtail and Padfoot and Prongs. Their friendship had changed a lot in its dynamics but, fundamentally it was still the same and although it still shocked her that four boys - who were so different - could be such good friends, they were as familiar to her as family. Peter who was nervous and a follower and clever but sometimes lacking in common sense. Sirius who was clever and cocky and hard and all punk on the outside and not even soft grunge on the inside. Remus who read and hid and found it hard to trust and was quiet and was more witty than funny. James who was kind and arrogant and smart and friendly and loyal and thoughtful and the star Quidditch player who you would find comforting a second year at four in the morning. Lily would watch them fall asleep on one another, shout insults at each other and then laugh, make ridiculous bets and accuse another of cheating, slip each other notes before tests, share food and she would smile because she knew they weren't just friends; they were brothers.


End file.
